Hey Pamela!
The state of Texas is planning to execute a man named James Broadnax on April 30. But James didn’t pull the trigger.
The actual shooter—his cousin, Demarius Cummings—was sentenced to life without parole and has now admitted he killed Stephen Swan and Matthew Butler outside their Dallas music studio during a robbery in 2008. Demarius’s confession is backed by physical evidence: His DNA was found on the murder weapon and on one of the victims.
We are calling on the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and Governor Abbott to stop James’s execution. If you agree that Texas authorities should intervene, add your name to the petition.
For years, James’s legal team has raised serious concerns with his trial. Dallas County prosecutors removed all Black jurors from his trial so that he was convicted by a nearly all-white jury. In a capital case like this, one juror can represent the difference between life and death.
Prosecutors also used his teenage rap lyrics as evidence to argue he was “dangerous”, exploiting racist stereotypes about Black music and culture.
James was only 19 years old at the time of the crime with no history of violence. He should not receive a more severe punishment than the person who actually committed the killings. And a death sentence imposed by jurors selected through racial discrimination violates the Constitution and basic human rights.
James needs the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles to recommend a reprieve—and Governor Abbott to grant it. They won't act unless we make this injustice impossible to ignore.
Sign the petition to urge the Texas Pardons and Paroles Board and Governor Abbott to stop James’s execution.
In solidarity,
U.S. Campaign to End the Death Penalty
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