Every Signature Counts

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Save Sonny Burton's Life

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10K+ Signatures & Counting! •

Every Signature Counts • Save Sonny Burton's Life • 10K+ Signatures & Counting! •

It takes less than one minute to make a difference.

Join more than 10,200 people from around the world in directly asking Governor Kay Ivey to show mercy to Sonny Burton, and commute his death sentence to life in prison. Every signature counts. Select the link below based on where you live.

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Your information will never be shared. Every letter is delivered directly to decision-makers.

Help Get Clemency for
Charles “Sonny” Burton

Be His Voice

Charles “Sonny” Burton has spent more than 30 years on Alabama’s death row for a killing the State agrees he neither committed nor ordered. While he wasn’t even in the building when the shooting occurred, both Sonny and the shooter Derrick DeBruce were sentenced to death. On appeal, the State agreed to reduce DeBruce’s sentence to life without parole. While acknowledging that Sonny’s sentence is “arguably unjust,” the State inexplicably upheld Sonny’s death sentence. Let that sink in: the man who fired the gun lived out his life in prison. The man who did not remains condemned to die. Injustice this plain is rare. That’s exactly why it must be made right.

Today, Sonny’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and he remains confined to a wheelchair, living each day uncertain when his execution date might be set. Your voice can help save his life. Take urgent action now: support Sonny’s clemency campaign and demand justice.

An elderly man sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a beige jumpsuit, sunglasses, a helmet, and white shoes, with a bandage on his right hand.

Help Us Save Sonny

  • Sign the Petition for Clemency

    Sonny’s execution has been scheduled for March 12. With all appeals exhausted, clemency is now the only remaining path to prevent his execution.

    By signing this petition, you are not weighing in on guilt or innocence, you are standing up for fairness, proportionality, and justice. Sonny did not kill, direct, or witness the shooting, yet he faces execution while the actual triggerman received life without parole.

    If clemency is not granted, the State plans to carry out his execution using nitrogen hypoxia.

    Your signature sends a clear message to the State of Alabama and Governor Ivey: this sentence should be commuted to life without the possibility of parole. Please act now. Your voice matters, and together we can help Save Sonny.

    Sign Here

  • Join Sonny's Team

    Join a growing community of activists, organizers, and people just like you who are standing together to Save Sonny and support his family. Complete this form to join the team and be among the first to receive calls-to-action, campaign updates, and opportunities to amplify the movement online and in person. When you sign up, you’ll automatically be added to our newsletter so you never miss an important update.

    Join here

  • Take Action

    Ready to do more? Visit the Take Action page to sign the clemency petition, contact decision-makers, and access ready-to-use tools to help amplify Sonny’s story.

    Every action, big or small, helps build the momentum needed to secure clemency.

    take action

Sonny’s Story

Group of four people posing indoors, with one person standing taller in the middle. Casual attire, smiling and looking at the camera.
Five people, including two women, two men, and a young boy, standing together outdoors in front of a wooden building. They are smiling and wearing casual clothing, with one woman wearing sunglasses and a yellow dress and the others dressed in light-colored outfits.

Twenty-seven states allow executions of "non-triggermen" – people who participate in a felony that led to someone's death, even if they didn't carry out the killing themselves.

Alabama is one of those states, and Charles "Sonny" Burton is one of those men sentenced to die. 

Charles Burton never killed anyone, a fact acknowledged by the State. He never arranged for anyone to die.

The identity of the triggerman, Derrick DeBruce, was never in dispute and DeBruce, initially sentenced to death, had his sentence commuted to life without parole on appeal, while Mr. Burton remains on death row for more than 30 years. An outcome that even the State of Alabama calls “arguably unjust”. Mr. Burton's case can only be described as a series of legal injustices by his former counsel, including a lack of presentation of mitigating evidence to the court. 

With no further appellate process available to him, Mr. Burton is subject to receive an execution date at any time.

Hand-drawn birthday card featuring a cartoon pug wearing a party hat, with balloons, confetti, and a message that reads, "Russell, I want to wish you a Happy Bday. Yours a day before mine. Much love, Sonny."
Three people smiling and standing together against a light-colored background.

Sonny is a father, a brother, a son, and a friend. He's also a deeply spiritual man committed to guiding others away from the difficult path he's had to walk. Sent away as a child to live with an abusive father, Sonny understands what it means to face pain and loss. While he was incarcerated, his wife was tragically murdered—and the person responsible has since been granted parole.

Sonny’s family dreams of the day he can finally come home. While that dream may seem distant, clemency offers real hope and a vital first step toward justice.

You can make a difference right now. Please share Sonny’s story, sign his clemency petition, follow and engage with his journey on social media, and join Team Sonny to help amplify his voice and strengthen his campaign for clemency.