Statement Regarding Gov. Ivey’s Decision to Commute the Sentence of Charles “Sonny” Burton
BIRMINGHAM, AL – Today, Doug Jones issued the following statement regarding Governor Kay Ivey's decision to commute Charles ‘Sonny’ Burton’s death sentence to life without parole on Tuesday March 10, 2026.
“As governor, you often have to make hard choices, and I am thankful Governor Ivey commuted the death sentence of Sonny Burton to life in prison without parole,” Jones said. “Mr Burton is now 75 years old, frail and has spent more than three decades in prison. He did not pull the trigger that killed the victim, while the life of the man who did pull the trigger was spared in a plea bargain, and he spent his life in prison. Members of the victim’s family and the jury who sentenced Mr. Burton to death asked the Governor to commute his death sentence. Governor Ivey tempering justice with mercy was the right decision.”