Reconsideration of John Brookins's Request for Parole

Tomorrow, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons will reconsider John Brookins's request for parole. Last year, John's request for parole was denied in large part based upon a letter sent by the Bucks County District Attorney's Office. Unfortunately, this letter was inflammatory, prejudicial, and misstated several of the facts in the case. As a result, John's team has filed a 223 page binder to the Board of Pardons correcting the misstatements in the District Attorney's letter. This packet is consistent with the reporting we did on the Undisclosed Podcast on John's case. The packet and the podcast series both show the weakness of the State's case against John Brookins, John's actual innocence, and the strong evidence pointing to an alternate suspect in the case. They also show John's clean prison record and how he runs fitness and meditation programs for his fellow inmates. Moreover, they lay out the current dispute in his case: John wants DNA testing of crime scene evidence that could prove his innocence while the State vehemently opposes it.

Unfortunately, John's case has become a political football due to John Fetterman casting the lone vote in favor of parole for John last year. As a result, his political opponent, Dr. Mehmet Oz, has portrayed Fetterman as a man who has tried to free a cold blooded murderer. As a doctor, however, Dr. Oz should support DNA testing in this case. He should also consider the record of cases we have covered on Undisclosed, with 17/27 cases leading to relief granted so far. The decision on whether John Brookins should be released should be based on facts, not politics.

-CM