Oklahoma is preparing to defy its parole board and kill Julius Jones

Just hours before the scheduled execution of Julius Jones, a 41-year-old Black man convicted of a murder he says he didn’t commit, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt still hasn’t said whether he’ll commute the death sentence, as activists have urged.

Jones was found guilty and sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of Oklahoma businessman Paul Howell. Jones, who has always maintained his innocence, and his supporters have pointed to deep flaws in the trial as reason for Stitt, a Republican, to commute his sentence to life in prison. 

Specifically, they point to Jones’ defense...