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Julius Jones is scheduled to be executed today and Oklahoma's governor has still not decided if he will commute the death sentence

By Amir Vera, CNN
Updated 5:10 AM ET, Thu November 18, 2021
(CNN)Julius Jones is scheduled to be executed today at 4 p.m. CT unless Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt grants him clemency.Even as the clock is winding down, the Republican governor has still not said whether he will accept a recommendation from the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board, which voted 3-1 on November 1 to commute Jones' sentence to life in prison with the possibility of parole.CNN has reached out to Gov. Stitt's office and has not heard back.

"This governor has nothing to pray about, he has a decision to make," said Cece Jones-Davis, director for the Justice for Julius campaign, in reference to reports the governor had been in "deep prayer" about the decision.
"Governor, you still have a chance, you still have time," she said. "You have time Gov. Stitt to get this right."
The 11th-hour decision comes after years of protest over Jones' death sentence.

Speaking with CNN's Don Lemon on Wednesday night, Jones' mother expressed concern about the governor's inaction so far. "I really don't know what to say to him because he has assured us he would make the decision swift," Madeline Davis-Jones said. "And if this is swift, we're in trouble again."
Jones has been on death row for nearly 20 years in connection with the 1999 murder of Paul Howell. Jones says he's innocent, as do his family, attorneys and supporters. Howell's family, however, remains convinced of Jones' guilt.

Supporters protest at governor's mansion

Jones' case has attracted widespread attention in recent years, in part due to the ABC documentary series "The Last Defense," which spotlighted his case in 2018.
More than 6 million people have signed a Justice for Julius petition which says he's been on death row because of "fundamental breakdowns in the system tasked with deciding" his guilt, including ineffective and inexperienced defense attorneys, racial bias among his jury and alleged prosecutorial misconduct.

That support has only ramped up with the impending execution date. Supporters have gathered near the governor's mansion in Oklahoma City over the past few nights, and some even set up tents overnight, CNN affiliate KOCO reported.
At a news conference Wednesday evening, Jones' mother described her son's scheduled execution as a lynching.
"If you think Julius is guilty, give him a fair trial. Do it over again, do it right!" Davis-Jones said as the crowd erupted in applause. "If my child is executed tomorrow or any day, it should be without a doubt. Not even a little bit of doubt."

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian -- who has long advocated against Jones' death sentence -- actors Kerry Washington and Mandy Patinkin, and even professional athletes like Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield have been using their voices in calling for the governor to spare Jones.
"It's a shame it's gotten this far," Mayfield told reporters Wednesday as he teared up. Mayfield played football at the University of Oklahoma. "Hopefully God can intervene and handle it correctly and do the things He needs to do."
Support for Jones has also gone international, with a representative from the European Union weighing in via a letter to Stitt.
"We respectfully urge you to exercise all powers vested in your office to grant clemency to Mr. Julius Jones," wrote Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU Ambassador to the US.
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Summarize the CNN article about Julius Jones.