After spending nearly three decades on death row, Richard Glossip is finally getting another chance to prove his innocence. The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned his murder conviction, saying the prosecutors in his original trial made serious mistakes. Now, Glossip will face a new trial.
The court’s decision, made on Tuesday, February 25, came with a 5-3 vote. Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote the majority opinion, pointing out that the prosecution failed in its duty to fix false testimony presented during the trial. “We reverse the judgment below and remand the case for a new trial,” she wrote.
Glossip has always said he had nothing to do with the 1997 murder of Barry Van Treese, his boss and the owner of a motel in Oklahoma City where Glossip worked as a handyman. But despite his claims of innocence, he’s been behind bars for almost 30 years and was scheduled for execution nine times.
The case against Glossip largely rested on the testimony of Justin Sneed, who admitted to killing Van Treese. Sneed told police that Glossip had hired him to carry out the attack, allegedly offering him $10,000 for the job. In exchange for his testimony, Sneed struck a plea deal and received life in prison without parole. Meanwhile, Glossip was sentenced to death.
But the Supreme Court found major problems with the way prosecutors handled the case. They didn’t correct false statements made by Sneed and failed to share important information about his psychiatric condition. On top of that, they destroyed evidence and withheld witness statements. Justice Sotomayor noted that because Sneed’s testimony was the only direct evidence against Glossip, the jury’s decision relied heavily on whether they believed him.
A new trial date hasn’t been set yet, but Glossip’s legal team is celebrating the ruling. Don Knight, one of his attorneys, called the decision “a victory for justice and fairness.” He added, “Rich Glossip, who has maintained his innocence for 27 years, will now be given the chance to have the fair trial that he has always been denied.”
As Glossip waits for his new day in court, the hope for a fresh start — and true justice — finally seems within reach.
