ACLU of Oklahoma Announces Tremane Woods’ Legal Team as 2025 Angie Debo Civil Libertarian Award Recipient

The ACLU of Oklahoma announced today that the legal team for Tremane Wood will be recipients of the prestigious Angie Debo Civil Libertarian Award. This award is given in recognition and celebration of the team’s courage and tenacity in challenging the systemic biases and injustices of capital punishment in Oklahoma.

In 2025, Tremane Wood faced execution despite the fact that he had not killed anyone. The person who did kill the victim confessed and received a life sentence. Yet, Tremane was convicted of felony murder and was the only co-defendant with a death sentence in the case. Felony murder is a legal doctrine that allows a conviction for murder when someone dies during the course of a felony, regardless of whether an individual defendant’s actions caused the death, and subjects them to the same level of punishment. In Tremane’s case, even the victim’s family had joined the call for his mercy, publicly stating that they did not want him to be executed.

Our community held its breath, once again, as Oklahoma's Governor waited until the final minutes before deciding to follow the recommendation of the Pardon and Parole Board to grant clemency. For many years, the Justice for Tremane legal team, led by Amanda Bass Castro Alves, together with Alison Rose, Maren Dale, Rebecca Postyeni, Lamont Williams, Deanna Radtke, Leah Roberts, Oscar Lopez, and Jasmine Brown-Jutras, worked tirelessly to expose the massive deficiencies in Oklahoma's criminal justice system, to humanize Oklahomans on death row, and to bring together a community from across the state and country.

“We’re deeply touched by this honor. This is an award that we share with the Oklahoma community including the state leaders who courageously ensured that justice was delivered through mercy,” said Amanda Bass Castro Alves.

Tremane Wood’s legal team will accept the award at the ACLU of Oklahoma’s Annual Membership Meeting this Saturday, May 2, 2026. In addition to the presentation of the Angie Debo Award, we will feature an ensemble of trailblazing Oklahoma artists speaking on Art as Activism. Panelists will include Denise Duong, Tony Thunder, and Carlos Barboza. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged.

The Angie Debo Civil Libertarian Award is named in honor of the writer, historian, and civil rights advocate Angie Debo, who relentlessly pursued justice in cooperation with the ACLU of Oklahoma during the late 1960s and 1970s. It is the highest award presented by the ACLU of Oklahoma and has been presented annually since 1971 for outstanding achievement in the fight for civil rights and civil liberties.