{"id":2352661,"date":"2024-10-09T14:06:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-09T18:06:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-appears-divided-over-oklahoma-death-row-appeal-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-10-09T14:09:09","modified_gmt":"2024-10-09T18:09:09","slug":"supreme-court-appears-divided-over-oklahoma-death-row-appeal-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-appears-divided-over-oklahoma-death-row-appeal-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Supreme Court appears divided over Oklahoma death row appeal &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsupreme-court-appears-divided-over-oklahoma-death-row-appeal-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2352661&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S.\u200b Supreme Court \u2064is currently deliberating \u200bon the case\u2062 of Richard Glossip, an Oklahoma\u2062 death row\u2063 inmate who seeks a new trial after maintaining \u200dhis innocence \u200bfor decades regarding a \u200d1997 murder. During oral \u2062arguments, \u200bjustices showed \u2063division over whether\u2064 Glossip&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/texas-lawmaker-who-voted-against-ag-paxtons-impeachment-files-resolution-to-reform-process\/\" title=\"Texas lawmaker files resolution to reform impeachment process after voting against AG Paxton&#039;s impeachment.\">due process\u2062 rights<\/a> were violated due to the Oklahoma prosecution&#8217;s \u2062failure to\u200b disclose key\u200b evidence and corrections to false testimony. \u200cThe audience heard concerns from justices about the absence\u200d of testimony from \u200ccrucial prosecutors and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/one-year-later-how-the-death-of-george-floyd-changed-5-american-institutions\/\" title=\"One Year Later: How The Death Of George Floyd Changed 5 American Institutions\u00a0\">decision-making processes<\/a> that led to Glossip&#8217;s conviction, based heavily \u2063on the testimony of a\u200b key witness, Justin Sneed, who admitted to\u200d committing the murder \u2064but claimed Glossip was involved in a murder-for-hire plot. Attorney \u200cGeneral\u200b Gentner \u200bDrummond, who \u200dsupports\u2063 Glossip&#8217;s appeal, argues that there were significant failures\u200c in the prosecutor&#8217;s handling of the\u2063 case. The Supreme Court is \u2063considering whether to send Glossip&#8217;s case back for\u200d further evaluation based on new evidence that surfaced \u2062from an \u2063independent investigation, which has garnered public and celebrity support. Ultimately, the justices&#8217; ruling could determine the fairness of Glossip&#8217;s original trial.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Supreme Court appears divided over Oklahoma death row appeal<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_1791749\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/supreme-court\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Supreme Court<\/a> was divided on Wednesday over <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/oklahoma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Oklahoma<\/a> death row inmate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/2809817\/supreme-court-weighs-richard-glossip-appeal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Richard Glossip<\/a>, who is seeking a new trial after decades of maintaining his innocence for a murder he says he did not commit.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/supreme-court\/3181803\/supreme-court-review-death-row-oklahoma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>justices will determine whether<\/a> Oklahoma&rsquo;s failure to disclose key evidence and correct false testimony violated Glossip&rsquo;s due process rights and whether all suppressed evidence must be considered in determining the fairness of his trial. The high court also weighed whether a conviction should be overturned when the state no longer defends it and will address whether the state&rsquo;s procedural law prevented Glossip from receiving post-conviction relief.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (left) supports the appeal of death row inmate Richard Glossip (right). (Associated Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>During the more than one<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wisconsin-supreme-court-hears-challenges-to-political-maps-and-questions-timing-of-lawsuit\/\" title=\"Wisconsin Supreme Court hears challenges to political maps and questions timing of lawsuit\">-hour oral argument session<\/a>, attorneys for Glossip were peppered with tough questions from at least three justices, especially Justice Clarence Thomas, who took issue with the lack of testimony from two prosecutors who were &ldquo;central&rdquo; to the facts of Glossip&rsquo;s case.<\/p>\n<p>The pair of prosecutors involved in Glossip&rsquo;s case &ldquo;suggest that their interviews were generally about prosecuting capital cases and not specifically about the details of this&rdquo; one, Thomas said, wondering why the prosecutors&rsquo; positions about the case were largely absent from the case&rsquo;s briefing.<\/p>\n<p>The defense relies primarily on evidence that surfaced since an independent pro bono investigation into Glossip in 2022, which prompted the state&rsquo;s Republican attorney general to believe that Glossip was not given a fair trial. The case has even attracted support from celebrities, including Dr. Phil.<\/p>\n<p>By the end of oral arguments, there appeared to be a possible majority that could support Glossip&rsquo;s request to have his case sent back to a lower court for further evaluation and a new trial.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Key background for Glossip&rsquo;s case<\/h2>\n<p>Glossip has always maintained his innocence in the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.<\/p>\n<p>A key witness in Glossip&rsquo;s conviction, Justin Sneed, admitted to robbing Van Treese and bludgeoning him to death with a baseball bat but testified he only did so after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000. Sneed received a life sentence in exchange for his testimony.<\/p>\n<p>Glossip has admitted to helping Sneed cover up the murder after it happened but denies knowing that Sneed planned to kill Van Treese or encouraging him to do so.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the defendant&rsquo;s admission, Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, who was seated in the high courtroom on Wednesday, is hoping to see a favorable ruling for Glossip.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is a prosecutor who engineered a mid-trial change in Justin Sneed&rsquo;s testimony and then denied doing so in the court. And stood silent in the face of false testimony she elicited about psychiatric treatment,&rdquo; former U.S. Solicitor General Seth Waxman said on behalf of Glossip.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He [Sneed] lied to the jury about his history of psychiatric treatment, including the fact that a prison psychiatrist prescribed lithium to treat his previously undiagnosed bipolar disorder,&rdquo; Waxman added.<\/p>\n<p>Chief Justice John Roberts pointed out that the jury during Glossip&rsquo;s trial understood that Sneed was taking lithium, but what they did not know was that it was prescribed by a psychiatrist.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Do you really think it would make that much difference to the jury?&rdquo;&nbsp;Roberts asked Waxman.<\/p>\n<p>Justice <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ketanji-brown-jackson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Ketanji Brown Jackson<\/a> appeared to suggest that, at the minimum, the Supreme Court should send Glossip&rsquo;s case back to the state level and evaluate whether any of the new evidence favored Glossip&rsquo;s defense.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Clement, a former U.S. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-announces-new-legal-team-for-impeachment-defense-after-previous-team-collapsed\/\" title=\"Trump Announces New Legal Team For Impeachment Defense After Previous Team Collapsed\">solicitor general<\/a> and veteran Supreme Court advocate who was seated next to the Republican state attorney general, represented Oklahoma on Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p>Clement contended that there was indeed a failure by prosecutors to disclose evidence and a suppression of false testimony that occurred in the case.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The state has one indispensable witness &hellip; and if that witness lies on the stand, perjures himself on the stand, that seems to me that could have a reasonable opportunity of leading to a different result,&rdquo; Clement said.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Adherence to federalism could put Glossip in tricky situation<\/h2>\n<p>The largest hurdle that will have to be cleared for Glossip to achieve a victory at the Supreme Court is the bedrock of federalism that surrounds the entire case.<\/p>\n<p>Christopher Michel, a former clerk to Roberts, was assigned to argue that Glossip&rsquo;s conviction should be upheld.<\/p>\n<p>Michel wrote in a brief that the defense&rsquo;s argument is essentially &ldquo;that the [Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals] should have explained its holding more thoroughly or that its holding is wrong. But neither of those positions is a valid basis for this Court to review a state-court decision grounded in state law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Michel argued that Glossip&rsquo;s defense relies on a &ldquo;significant overriding&rdquo; of the prosecutor&rsquo;s notes, to which Justices Samuel Alito, Roberts, and Thomas appeared sympathetic.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court is likely to issue its ruling in the months ahead.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from the case because he had a previous encounter with Glossip&rsquo;s case before he was on the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_1791749\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"1791749\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court divided on Richard Glossip&#8217;s death row appeal<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2633,"featured_media":2352662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/AP23110587604567.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7584,41272,12474,32275,32076],"class_list":["post-2352661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-appeal","tag-death-row","tag-oklahoma","tag-supreme-court","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/AP23110587604567.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2352661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2352661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2352661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2352662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2352661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2352661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2352661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}