US Supreme Court orders new trial for death row inmate

Recently, a statement was released detailing that the United States Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for Richard Glossip.

On 25 February 2025, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals (OCCA) erred in failing to accept the Oklahoma Attorney General’s confession of constitutional error in the case of Richard Glossip. Richard Glossip has been on death row for 26 years for the murder of Barry Van Treese, despite there being evidence to indicate that another man, Mr Justin Sneed, murdered Mr Treese. You can read more on Mr Glossip’s story here.

The Court concluded in their decision, that Mr Glossip is entitled to a new trial due to the trial prosecutors’ failure to disclose evidence to Mr Glossip’s trial counsel prior to his 2004 trial, in addition to, failing to correct testimony from the prosecutions witness Mr Sneed, which the prosecutors knew was false at the time it was given in court. You can read the decision here.  

The Statement issued by Mr Glossip’s attorney provided that Mr. Glossip’s brief detailed the withheld evidence of Mr Sneed’s serious psychiatric problems and false trial testimony denying a history of mental illness. Further to this, the brief details how the OCCA erred in failing to recognise the multiple due process errors that did not facilitate a fair trial.

For countries that do not implement the death penalty, this case serves as an important reminder for prosecutors, and, also extends to practitioners that, there is a necessity to correct the record to avoid false testimonies being relied upon and misleading the court.

In countries where the death penalty is still implemented, this case is an example of the dangers associated with the death penalty, and how the death penalty is riddled with bias and irreversible consequences. Mr Glossip's case is one where it is clear that, a failure to correct a false testimony, may be the difference between life or death, and also raises the question: how many more cases like Mr Glossip's exist?