Supreme Court orders new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip
Source: CNN
Supreme Court orders new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip
By Devan Cole and John Fritze, CNN
3 minute read
Updated 10:30 AM EST, Tue February 25, 2025
(CNN) -- A fractured Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip, whose appeal drew national attention and support from the state's conservative attorney general, in light of allegations that the state withheld evidence related to its main witness. ... The ruling is a major win for Glossip, whose 1998 conviction for arranging the murder of Barry Van Treese a year earlier has been called into question by him and, critically, the state attorney general after new evidence emerged in recent years.
The ruling represents an extraordinary twist in the legal saga surrounding Glossip, who has been scheduled for execution nine times and has eaten his last meal three times only to have his execution stayed. ... "We conclude that the prosecution violated its constitutional obligation to correct false testimony," Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the majority.
At the center of the appeal are notes taken by prosecutors involved in Glossip's trial about Justin Sneed, the man who killed Van Treese with a baseball bat in a hotel. Even though both sides agree Sneed actually killed Van Treese, Glossip was charged with orchestrating the murder. ... Glossip's conviction rested on Sneed's testimony, but years after Glossip's conviction, the state disclosed evidence that Sneed was treated for a serious psychiatric condition. The notes indicate that prosecutors knew about Sneed's diagnosis and treatment at the time of Glossip's trial and, according to Glossip's supporters, hid that information from his defense.
"Had the prosecution corrected Sneed on the stand, his credibility plainly would have suffered. That correction would have revealed to the jury not just that Sneed was untrustworthy (as amicus points out, the jury already knew he repeatedly lied to the police), but also that Sneed was willing to lie to them under oath," Sotomayor wrote. "Such a revelation would be significant in any case, and was especially so here where Sneed was already 'nobody's idea of a strong witness.'"
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Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/25/politics/richard-glossip-supreme-court/index.html
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Mark Joseph Stern
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HUGE: The Supreme Court sides with Richard Glossip, holding that prosecutors violated his constitutional rights by failing to correct false testimony at his trial. It directs the Oklahoma courts to vacate his conviction! https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/22-7466_5h25.pdf
https://bsky.app/profile/mjsdc.bsky.social/post/3liz557hqt22x
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https://www.scotusblog.com/2025/02/supreme-court-grants-richard-glossip-new-trial-in-capital-case/
OPINION ANALYSIS
Supreme Court grants Richard Glossip new trial in capital case
By Amy Howe
on Feb 25, 2025 at 11:12 am
= new reply since forum marked as read
