Richard Glossip Execution: Oklahoma Death Row Inmate’s Lawyers Make Final Plea

Death row inmate Richard Glossip of Oklahoma is scheduled to be executed today despite much doubt about his guilt regarding a 1997 murder conviction. Glossip’s attorney maintains his client’s innocence.

Richard Glossip didn’t personally kill Barry Van Treese in 1997.

Reinvigorated by a vibrant appeal from Pope Francis to abolish the death penalty, activists in the United States face the harsh reality of three executions scheduled in three days this week.

July 17, 2001 – The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals overturns Glossip’s conviction, saying evidence to support Sneed’s testimony was “extremely weak”, Glossip’s lawyer was ineffective and jurors appeared to have consulted a Bible during deliberations, contrary to proper court procedures. A man named Justin Sneed testified that Glossip hired him to carry out the murder.

But when she referred the case to the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, the court voted to continue with Glossip’s execution. Nor did Scott owe Prater anything in his failure to abide by the terms of his suspended sentence; Scott’s arrest took place in Rogers County, two hours from Oklahoma City.

Henricksen said Glossip’s legal team, a group of lawyers representing him pro bono, have new testimony gathered over the weekend from an inmate who served time with Sneed.

Richard Glossip was convicted of ordering the death of a motel owner in 1997, but he claims he is innocent and was framed by a former co-worker. Two justices dissented, saying they favored a 60-day stay of execution for an evidentiary hearing on Glossip’s claim of newly discovered evidence.

Oklahoma first used midazolam past year in the execution of Clayton Lockett, who writhed on the gurney, moaned and clenched his teeth for several minutes before prison officials tried to halt the process.

Don Knight, a Colorado-based attorney also representing Glossip, expressed concern Monday over the court’s split decision.

Richard Glossip’s lawyers on Tuesday filed a petition for rehearing with the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals.

“While finality of judgment is important, the state has no interest in executing an actually innocent man”, Smith wrote.

Lawyers for Glossip and other Oklahoma death-row inmates had challenged midazolam, saying it could not achieve the level of unconsciousness required for surgery and was therefore unsuitable for executions.

Oklahoma has two more executions planned in upcoming weeks.

Another death row inmate — Benjamin Cole — is scheduled to be executed on October 7 for the 2002 killing of his 9-month-old daughter despite his attorneys’ claims that he is insane and ineligible for the death penalty.