In a significant ruling, the US Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma death row inmate, after determining that the prosecution failed to correct false testimony.
US Supreme Court Grants New Trial to Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip
US Supreme Court Grants New Trial to Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip
Landmark decision comes amidst calls for justice from the community and state officials, raising questions about the reliability of testimony in capital cases.
In a groundbreaking ruling, the US Supreme Court has granted a new trial to Richard Glossip, a 62-year-old inmate on death row in Oklahoma, reversing a previous decision by the state's Court of Criminal Appeals. The 5-3 vote came after both Glossip and Oklahoma's Republican attorney general advocated for a retrial, pointing to concerns surrounding the integrity of the original prosecution.
Glossip was convicted in 1997 for the murder of Barry Van Treese, the owner of the motel where he worked. Despite his repeated claims of innocence and having faced nine postponed execution dates, he has maintained a public fight against what he perceives as a miscarriage of justice, famously consuming his "last meal" on three occasions while awaiting his fate.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor penned Tuesday's opinion, which was joined by fellow liberal justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, as well as conservatives Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts. Notably, Justice Neil Gorsuch refrained from participating in the ruling. Sotomayor emphasized that the prosecution had violated its constitutional duty by failing to correct false testimony regarding Justin Sneed, a co-worker who implicated Glossip.
Sneed, who was convicted for Van Treese's death, alleged that Glossip had directed him to commit the act but did not reveal that he had a serious psychiatric condition, a fact prosecutors withheld during the initial trial.
Glossip’s legal plight dates back to his first conviction in 1998, later overturned, and a subsequent conviction in 2004. His impending execution was notably halted in 2015, just moments before it was set to occur, due to concerns over the drugs used in lethal injection.
The 2023 Supreme Court decision comes as Glossip continues to garner high-profile support, including from international figures such as Pope Francis, Kim Kardashian, and Sir Richard Branson, who have highlighted the growing concerns surrounding capital punishment practices in the United States.
