All Eyes on Oklahoma Death Penalty
Two Mentally Ill Prisoners Face Clemency Proceedings This Week Before “Activist” Parole Board.
For Immediate Release — November 30, 2021
Contact: Abraham Bonowitz — 561–371–5204
All Eyes on Oklahoma Death Penalty
Two Mentally Ill Prisoners Face Clemency Proceedings This Week Before “Activist” Parole Board.
Final Execution of 2021 Set for December 9: Press Conference Weds (12/1) at 2pm
Oklahoma City, OK — Everyone concerned with capital punishment and human rights in the United States is watching Oklahoma today and until December 9 as the Oklahoma Execution Spree continues to play out. Despite a federal lawsuit challenging Oklahoma’s flawed execution protocol, seven execution dates have been set for prisoners who are not party to that lawsuit. John Grant’s execution was botched (as per protocol complaints) and Julius Jones received a commutation just hours before his scheduled execution. Five execution dates remain.
- Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt continues to weigh the unusual clemency recommendation issued by the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board in the case of Bigler Jobe Stouffer II, who is scheduled to be executed on December 9th for his alleged murder of Linda Reaves. Phone calls continue to pour into the Governor’s office from concerned citizens.
- Clemency hearings are being held for two men with significant mental health issues. Donald Grant’s hearing is at 9am on November 30 (See clemency petition here), and Gilbert Postelle’s hearing is at 9am on December 1st (clemency petition is here).
- Bigler “Bud” Jobe Stouffer II remains scheduled for execution on December 9. If carried out, his will be the final scheduled execution of 2021. Stouffer’s son and also his pastor will hold a press conference at 2pm on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 in the Oklahoma State Capitol outside the office of Governor Stitt.
While not giving credence to innocence claims which raise significant doubt about Stouffer’s guilt, on November 17th the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board voted 3–2 to recommend clemency because some members are disturbed that they sent John Grant to what became the latest in a string of “botched” executions in Oklahoma. In comments during the proceedings these members questioned continuing the Oklahoma Execution Spree in the face of Oklahoma’s 4th botched execution in a row.
“One question today and tomorrow is if the board members will continue to act on that concern, regardless of the merits of the prisoners whose hearings are being held,” said Abraham Bonowitz, Director of Death Penalty Action. “Both Donald Grant and Gilbert Postelle are prime examples of how societies’ failure to address mental illness and social welfare concerns with at-risk youth plays a significant role in who ends up on death row. We are attending the hearings in hope that the board members continue to speak out against Oklahoma’s flawed execution protocol. One would expect they will also give credence to the merits of these men’s clemency petitions.”
“Regardless of one’s feelings about the death penalty, no one can argue that government can be trusted to always get it right, or that capital punishment is an effective public policy,” said Bonowitz. “We can be safe from people who have committed terrible crimes in the past, and punish them severely, without executions. Indeed, that is exactly what we do in the vast majority of cases where execution is a possible punishment.”
###
