FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEWS RELEASE
July 19, 2018
For More Information, contact:
Mike Lewis (334) 353-2199
Steve Marshall
Joy Patterson (334) 242-7491
Page 1 of 1
Alabama Attorney General
AG STEVE MARSHALL ANNOUNCES ALABAMA SUPREME COURT
DENIES APPEAL OF CHOCTAW COUNTY MURDER CONVICTION
(MONTGOMERY) – Attorney General Steve Marshall announced the Alabama
Supreme Court has denied a petition for writ of certiorari seeking to appeal the murder
conviction of Joe Brown. Brown, 55, of Butler, was convicted in Choctaw County
Circuit Court in 2017 for the murder of Jeremy James.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on August 22, 2014, Brown killed James
by an attack that caused injuries including cutting James’ jugular vein. The victim was
found next to his truck, left on Johnny Williams Road, a dirt road in Choctaw County.
Law enforcement used a tracking dog to find who may have fled the scene of the crime.
The tracking dog picked up a scent from a pool of blood where James’ body was found,
and tracked the scent to where Brown lived. Among other evidence connecting Brown
to the murder, Brown’s DNA was found on vegetation at the crime scene and on nail
clippings from James’ hand. Also, a witness placed Brown at the scene where James’s
body was found. The exact circumstances of the murder are not known.
The case was prosecuted at trial by Choctaw County District Attorney Spence
Walker’s Office. Brown was sentenced as a habitual offender to life imprisonment
without the possibility of parole. Brown’s subsequent attempts to have his conviction
and sentence reversed on appeal have been rejected by the courts. The Attorney
General’s Criminal Appeals Section has handled Brown’s cases during the appeals
process, including Brown’s present petition to overturn his conviction. The Alabama
Supreme Court denied that request in a decision issued last Friday, July 13. Attorney
General Marshall commended Criminal Appeals Section Chief Beth Poe for her
successful work in this case.
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501 Washington Avenue * Montgomery, AL 36104 * (334) 242-7300
www.ago.state.al.us
