The Supreme Court annuls the conviction for murder of Glossip, orders a new trial – GV Wire

Washington – The Supreme Court expelled the conviction for murder and the death penalty for Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma who was declared guilty for the murder of an owner of a motel, but has firmly maintained his innocence and avoided multiple attempts of the State to execute it.

Glossip’s wife, Lea, described the decision “a responded prayer.”

The fact that prosecutors do not give evidence that they could have reinforced Glossip’s defense violated their constitutional right to a fair trial, the judges ruled in a case that produced a rare alliance of their lawyers and the State Republican Attorney General in support of A new day in court in court. For Glossip.

Rules of the Supreme Court for a new trial

“Glossip has the right to a new trial,” Judge Sonia Sotomayor wrote for five judges.

Judges Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dismit, voting to defend the conviction and the death sentence, while Judge Amy Roney Barrett would have allowed a state court of appeals to decide how to proceed.

Thomas wrote that most had “set aside the interests of the family.” The victim’s relatives had told the Superior Court that they wanted to see Glossip executed.

The defense team celebrates victory

Don Knight, Glossip’s lawyer, said the court was right when revoking the conviction because prosecutors hid critical evidence of the defense team. “Today was a victory for justice and equity in our judicial system,” Knight said in a statement. “Rich Glossip, who has maintained his innocence for 27 years, will now have the opportunity to have the fair trial that has always been denied.”

Glossip’s wife wrote in a text Associated Press: “Rich and I opened the decision together on the phone this morning, knowing that it would be a moment that changes life. To say that we are overcome by emotion is euphemism. We are deeply grateful. Today is really a replied sentence. “

Judge Neil Gorsuch did not participate in the case, presumably because he participated in him in an earlier stage when he was a judge of the Court of Appeals.

Case history and new evidence

Oklahoma’s most important criminal appeals had repeatedly confirmed the conviction and sentence, even after the State put on the side of Glossip.

Glossip was convicted and convicted of death in the 1997 murder in the city of Oklahoma of his former boss, the owner of the motel, Barry Van Trese, in which the prosecutors have alleged that it was a rental murder plan.

Glossip has always denied killing Van Treese, although he recognized deceptive investigators after crime. Another man, Justin Sneed, admitted to having stolen Van Treese and hit him to death with a baseball bat, but testified that he only did it after Glossip promised to pay him $ 10,000. Sneed received a life imprisonment in exchange for his testimony and was the key witness against Glossip.

In 2023, the state attorney general Gentner Drummond, a Republican, said that the boxes of new evidence persuaded him that Glossip’s trial was not fair. Drummond has said he does not believe that Glossip is innocent and has suggested that he could face a new trial.

If Glossip were tried again, the death penalty would be out of the table, said Oklahoma County District prosecutor, Vicki Zemp Behenna, Democrat.

The new evidence showed that prosecutors knew that Sneed lied in the witness position about their psychiatric condition and their reason to take the lithium of drug stabilizer of mood, Sotomayor wrote. Drummond was also worried about an evidence box in the case that was destroyed, he wrote. The evidence included motel receipts, a shower curtain and a masking tape that Knight has said that Glossip’s innocence could have potentially proven.

At least five judges voted last year to block efforts to execute Glossip while his case was developed.

That was only the last postponement for an inmate of the death corridor who has eaten three “last meals” and married twice while waiting for the execution. Oklahoma has established execution dates nine times for Glossip.