Former Pardon & Parole chair doesn't want Coddington decision to be "meaningless step"
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — In a surprise vote on Wednesday, the Oklahoma Pardon & Parole Board voted to approve clemency for death row inmate James Coddington.
A major pro-clemency voice on the board, Adam Luck, was not one of those who voted Wednesday. Luck resigned from the board at the request of Governor Kevin Stitt in January 2022 and had long since been replaced.
The governor had appointed Luck to the board three years before, when a moratorium on executions existed. In his resignation letter, Luck said his beliefs differed from that of the Governor's when it came to executions.
After the boards 3-2 vote on Wednesday to grant Coddington clemency, Luck took to Twitter to talk about his beliefs.
"This was the first hearing I watched as a member of the public and not a member of the board," Luck said. "There is no way to capture the pain, history, and complexity of these cases and the lives they represent. However, the change I experienced by serving on and chairing this board may be valuable to some in the community and for that reason I want to share my thoughts."
Luck said he hoped the clemency recommendation will be followed by the Governor, who has to sign off before Coddington can be taken off death row.
"Given the reason I was asked to resign it is no surprise I do not support the state killing someone in my name," Luck tweeted.
Luck tweeted the board is a final step for someone seeking clemency, and the results of the board's vote should be treated as "sacred".
"Whether we agree or not, we should support it," Luck tweeted. "Otherwise this becomes what it often is: a meaningless step on the inevitable path to death, without regard for new facts, better understanding, or our community’s desire to extend grace."
"If we ignore the recommendation we acknowledge the appearance of fairness and due process the clemency hearings provide make us feel better but do nothing to sway us from what we want: vengeance, death, and what we call justice," Luck added.
