Richard Glossip's long fight for exoneration gains momentum as the U.S. Supreme Court orders a new trial.
Supreme Court Grants New Trial to Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip
Supreme Court Grants New Trial to Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip
The high court's decision brings hope for justice after years of controversy.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ordered a fresh trial for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma man who has spent years on death row, following a 5-3 ruling that overturned a prior decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals. This significant development occurred after the state's Republican attorney general expressed support for Glossip’s demand for a new trial, amplifying calls for justice in a case fraught with legal and ethical dilemmas.
Glossip, now 62, was convicted in connection with the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, the owner of a motel where Glossip was employed. His conviction has been marred by multiple postponements of execution dates, with Glossip having experienced the distress of consuming his "last meal" three times.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor authored the court's opinion and was supported by liberal justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Interestingly, conservative justices Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts also aligned with the ruling, while Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from the case. “The prosecution failed to fulfill its constitutional duty to correct prejudiced testimony,” Sotomayor stated, underscoring the gravity of the allegations against the prosecution.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Glossip has steadfastly maintained his innocence. In the original case, Justin Sneed, Glossip’s co-worker, was convicted of the murder and alleged that Glossip had orchestrated the crime, a claim that has come under scrutiny given the revelation that Sneed had serious mental health issues that were not disclosed during the trial.
Glossip's first conviction was in 1998; however, it was overturned in 2001, with another conviction occurring in 2004. Notably, his scheduled execution was halted in 2015 mere steps from the execution chamber, prompting a review of the lethal injection protocol. This year, with the assistance of Oklahoma's attorney general and a coalition of advocates—including prominent public figures such as Pope Francis and Kim Kardashian—Glossip's quest for a fair trial has gained renewed vigor.
