Call the Governor!

If you hate death and state-sponsored killing, please call Brad Henry, Governor of Oklahoma today at 405-521-2342 to urge him to grant clemency tonight to Jackie Willingham.

There are currently ongoing civil disobedience actions today at the state capitol and I’m sure there will be at the Governor’s mansion and at the scheduled place for the killing (the prison at McAlester). Please remember those participating in your prayers today.

Here is some background on the Willingham case from the OCADP listserve:

*****Action Alert*****

Execution of Jackie Lee Willingham

Jackie Lee Willingham is scheduled to be executed on July 24, 2003

FLOOD THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE WITH CALLS

521-2342

ASK FOR CLEMENCY FOR JACKIE LEE WILLINGHAM:

? JURORS WERE NEVER GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER WHETHER WILLINGHAM

COULD HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF SECOND-DEGREE MURDER, INSTEAD OF

FIRST-DEGREE MURDER

? WILLINGHAM’S IS THE ONLY DEATH PENALTY CASE IN HISTORY OF THE STATE IN

WHICH EVIDENCE SUPPORTED A 2ND-DEGREE MURDER INSTRUCTION, BUT NONE WAS GIVEN

AND THE DEFENDANT WAS NOT GRANTED A NEW TRIAL

? THE PARDON AND PAROLE BOARD VOTED FOR CLEMENCY 3-2

? ALL THREE ATTORNEY BOARD MEMBERS VOTED FOR CLEMENCY

? PATRICK MORGAN DECLARED WILLINGHAM’S CASE TO BE ONE OF THE “CLOSEST CASES”

HE HAS SEEN IN HIS 3 1/2 YEARS ON THE BOARD

Background

On December 20, 1994, Lawton civic leader, Jayne Van Wey, was beaten in the

ladies room of an office building. In video taped confessions, Jackie Lee

Willingham admitted he had a hot temper and “snapped” when Jayne Van Wey was

rude to him after he tried to sell her perfume and she ordered him out. He

followed her to the ladies room and hit her three times with is fist,

slammed her head into the wall and kicked her in the head. He asserted she

was alive and breathing when he left her. Jackie Lee Willingham was

convicted of Murder in the First Degree and sentenced to death in 1995. His

execution is scheduled for July 24, 2003

Willingham’s attorney, Fred Staggs, has argued that jurors should have been

given the option to convict Willingham of 2nd-degree murder for what he

described as a crime of passion. Willingham’s attorney asserted that the

jury was not even allowed to consider a second-degree murder, therefore, the

jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.

On June 26, 2003, the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended clemency.

The board voted 3-2 to approve Jackie Lee Willingham’s application. It is

obvious that the court’s denial to instruct the jury on second-degree murder

troubled the three Pardon and Parole Board attorneys. All three Board

attorneys voted for clemency. Board Chair, Patrick Morgan, stated, “This is

one of the closest cases I’ve seen in my 3 1/2 years on the board; I think

too close. It’s for the governor to decide.”