OKLAHOMA CITY — Kim Kardashian West has joined a chorus of voices c💜alling for clemency for a black man on Oklahoma’s death row who has exhausted his appeals, arguing that a racist juror tainted the outcome of his 2002 trial.
Julius Jone♏s was convicted of murder for the 1999 slaying of 45-year-old Paul Howell, who was fatally shot in the driveway of his parents’ home in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Jones filed a 🧔clemency petition with the Oklahꦐoma Pardon and Parole Board on Tuesday, asking that his death sentence to be commuted to time served.
Kardashian West to her 62 million followers Wednesday 💟to urge the board and Oklahom♕a Gov. Kevin Stitt to consider Jones’ clemency petition.
Jones filed an appeal with the US Supreme Court arguing that a juror was racist toward him during his trials. The claim came to light when a juror told Jones’ lawyers in 2017 that another juror used a racist term to describe Jones and♑ said authoritꦐies should “shoot (Jones) behind the jail.”
The high court in April.
Kardashian West has been an outspoken criminal justice reform advocate. Last year, she successfully lobbied President Trump to grant clemency to Alice Marie Johnson, a grandmother who was serౠving a life sentence without parole for drug offenses.
In June, the reality TV star took a trip to the White House to help Trump promote a ride-sharing partnership expected to give former prisoners gift cards to help them get to and from job i💎nterviews, work and family events.
Kardashian West’s support of Jones c🦄omes after years of re💎jected appeals in his case.
In January, the US Supreme Court handed Jones after he argued that people of color are more likely to be sentenced to death in Oklahoma when the victim is white, which Howell was. Last year, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals also Jones’ appeal that arg⭕ued t🍌hat.