Supreme Court orders new trial for death-row inmate in Oklahoma motel killing

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a new trial for an Oklahoma death row inmate convicted of plotting to kill the owner of a motel he managed.

Doubts about the guilt of Richard Glossip have remained for decades.

Twice, the Supreme Court has blocked his execution. The state’s attorney general said he too questioned Glossip’s guilt.

In a 5-3 decision, the justices set aside his conviction and said Glossip may have been convicted based on false testimony from a young co-worker who said Glossip had told him to kill the motel owner.

Justin Sneed, the main witness against Glossip, admitted to being under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the 1997 murder. Sneed was convicted of robbing the motel owner and beating him to death with a baseball bat. He is serving life in prison.

Sneed was also being treated by a psychiatrist when he testified against Glossip, even though he denied receiving such treatment when asked.

This fact was not revealed during the trial, even though it was known to prosecutors.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed to this false testimony as the basis for overturning the conviction.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Elena Kagan, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson agreed entirely.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett agreed the conviction was flawed, but said she would send the case back to Oklahoma for its judges to decide the next step.

Justice Clarence Thomas filed a 44-page dissent that was joined by Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.

The court’s decision “distorts our jurisdiction and imagines a constitutional violation where none occurred,” Thomas wrote.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch took no part in the decision because he was on the appeals court that considered the matter earlier.

Don Knight, an attorney for Glossip, called the decision “a victory for justice and fairness. We are thankful that a clear majority of the court supports long-standing precedent that prosecutors cannot hide critical evidence from defense lawyers and cannot stand by while their witnesses knowingly lie to the jury.”

The ruling does not mean Glossip will go free.

State prosecutors believe Glossip was behind the killing, and they will be able to try him again.

“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,” Knight said.