Death Row Exoneree Richard Glossip Ordered to Face New Trial in Oklahoma

Former Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip, whose conviction was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court, has been ordered to stand trial again on September 28 for the 1997 murder of a motel owner.

Death Row Exoneree Richard Glossip Ordered to Face New Trial in Oklahoma

A man who spent decades facing execution for a motel owner's slaying will return to court this autumn after state judges ordered a fresh trial.

Richard Glossip appeared before an Oklahoma tribunal on Tuesday, roughly 15 months after the nation's highest court threw out his conviction and one month following his release from custody. A state judge scheduled proceedings to begin September 28.

Prosecutors have indicated they will not seek capital punishment again, though they intend to retry Glossip for the January 1997 killing of Barry Van Treese, who employed him at an Oklahoma City motel.

The case against Glossip originally rested heavily on testimony from Justin Sneed, a co-defendant who admitted to carrying out the actual killing. Sneed agreed to testify against Glossip in exchange for avoiding the death penalty himself.

In overturning the conviction, the U.S. Supreme Court found that prosecutors had permitted Sneed to give false testimony regarding his mental health background, violating Glossip's constitutional entitlement to a fair proceeding.

Glossip's legal team had asked the state court to evaluate whether sufficient evidence existed to warrant another trial. The judge ruled that proceedings would move forward.

According to SCOTUSblog, the case represents one of several significant rulings issued by the Supreme Court this term.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)