Hearing delayed for Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones

A clemency hearing for Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones has been delayed for a week while his legal challenge is pending in federal court

Death Penalty Oklahoma

A clemency hearing for Oklahoma death row inmate Julius Jones scheduled for Tuesday has been delayed for a week while his legal challenge is pending in federal court.

The five-member Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board is now set to hear Jones’ request for clemency next Tuesday while an appeal by death row inmates is pending in federal court.

Jones and five other death row inmates are seeking to be reinstated into a federal lawsuit challenging Oklahoma’s lethal injection protocol. A federal district judge on Monday rejected the inmates’ request, and their attorneys immediately appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

Jones, 41, maintains he is innocent of the 1999 shooting death of Edmond businessman Paul Howell and that he was framed by the actual killer, a high school friend and former co-defendant who was a key witness against him.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that it is planning to move forward with Thursday's execution of John Marion Grant, 60, who also is seeking to be reinstated to the federal lawsuit.