US excessive courtroom halts execution of man who acquired ‘unfair’ trial | Dying Penalty Information

The US Supreme Courtroom has blocked Oklahoma from executing death-row inmate Richard Glossip for his position in a 1997 murder-for-hire, after the state’s lawyer common agreed his life must be spared.

Whereas it’s uncommon for the conservative-dominated courtroom to place executions on maintain, it’s much more uncommon for a prosecutor to aspect with the inmate.

Glossip was scheduled to be put to loss of life on Might 18, regardless of statements by new Oklahoma Legal professional Normal Gentner Drummond that the defendant didn’t obtain a good trial.

An Oklahoma appeals courtroom subsequently upheld Glossip’s conviction, and the state’s pardon and parole board was deadlocked in a vote to grant him clemency.

The excessive courtroom put the execution on maintain indefinitely whereas it evaluations the case. Justice Neil Gorsuch took no half within the choice, presumably as a result of he handled the case earlier as an appeals courtroom choose.

“There may be nothing extra harrowing than the considered executing a person who the state now admits has by no means acquired a good trial,” Glossip’s lawyer Don Knight mentioned in a press release. “Our hope is that the courtroom will reverse the choice of the [Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals] and vacate Mr Glossip’s conviction as soon as and for all.”

Drummond, a Republican and the state’s prime prosecutor, supported a excessive courtroom reprieve for Glossip, telling the justices, “Glossip’s trial was unfair and unreliable”. In a press release, he mentioned he was grateful for the excessive courtroom’s choice.

“I’ll proceed working to make sure justice prevails on this essential case,” Drummond mentioned.

However Drummond has additionally mentioned he doesn’t consider Glossip is harmless of the murder-for-hire killing of his former boss, Barry Van Treese, in 1997.

One other man, Justin Sneed, admitted to robbing and killing Van Treese after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000. Sneed acquired a life sentence in change for his testimony and was the important thing witness towards Glossip.

The Related Press left a cellphone message on Friday for Van Treese’s brother, Ken Van Treese. It was not instantly returned.

Former Oklahoma County District Legal professional David Prater has lengthy mentioned he believes Glossip persuaded Sneed to kill Van Treese. He mentioned that, whereas Sneed’s testimony was probably the most compelling a part of the case, there was loads of proof to corroborate it.

“When police got here to speak to Glossip about Van Treese’s whereabouts, he directed [officers] away from the room he knew Van Treese was in,” Prater mentioned on Friday. “At any level, Glossip had the chance to inform the police that Sneed did this. He by no means did that. He even helped Sneed clear up all the pieces.”

He added Sneed and Glossip additionally had a considerable amount of money that Prater believes they stole from Van Treese’s automobile.

“In mild of Gentner Drummond’s place relating to the keep, I don’t really feel just like the Supreme Courtroom had a lot of a selection,” Prater mentioned. “However the fact will come out.”

Two separate impartial investigations have revealed issues with the prosecution’s case.

Drummond mentioned Sneed lied on the stand about his psychiatric situation and his cause for taking the mood-stabilising drug lithium. He additionally mentioned prosecutors knew Sneed was mendacity.

NEWS: The U.S. Supreme Courtroom has granted a keep of execution to Richard Glossip. The keep was collectively requested by the protection workforce and Oklahoma AG Drummond. This was nice information to study simply minutes after I completed a go to with Wealthy on Oklahoma’s loss of life row! pic.twitter.com/MTP07UnrOc

— Sister Helen Prejean (@helenprejean) Might 5, 2023

Additionally, proof was destroyed, Drummond mentioned.

Some Republican state legislators who assist the loss of life penalty have joined the rising refrain of Glossip supporters who’re looking for to overturn his conviction.

“We’re simply ecstatic,” state Consultant Kevin McDugle in a quick phone interview with the Related Press on Friday.

Glossip’s case has been to the Supreme Courtroom earlier than. He was given a reprieve in 2015, though the courtroom later dominated 5-4 towards him in a case involving the medicine utilized in deadly executions.

Glossip has been simply hours away from being executed three separate instances. His final scheduled execution, in September 2015, was halted simply moments earlier than he was to be led to the loss of life chamber, after jail officers realised they’d acquired the incorrect deadly drug.

That blend-up helped immediate an almost seven-year moratorium on the loss of life penalty in Oklahoma.

Glossip’s case attracted worldwide consideration after actress Susan Sarandon — who gained an Academy Award for her portrayal of loss of life penalty opponent Sister Helen Prejean within the 1995 film Lifeless Man Strolling — took up his trigger in actual life. Prejean herself has served as Glossip’s religious adviser and steadily visited him in jail.

His case additionally was featured within the 2017 documentary movie Killing Richard Glossip.

Glossip is the primary inmate who was granted a reprieve by the present justices since their time period started in October. The courtroom rejected pleas from 15 others, together with Darryl Barwick who was executed in Florida on Wednesday.

However in an analogous scenario to Glossip’s, the justices in January ordered a Texas appeals courtroom to look once more on the case of a death-row inmate who additionally had the backing of prosecutors. The inmate, Areli Escobar, was convicted and sentenced to loss of life based mostly on forensic proof {that a} choose later discovered to be flawed.

The Texas Courtroom of Legal Appeals, nevertheless, overturned the choose’s order for a brand new trial, despite the fact that the newly elected prosecutor in Travis County, Texas, was now not standing behind the conviction. When Escobar appealed to the Supreme Courtroom, the prosecutor supported his bid. Escobar was not dealing with imminent execution.