Oklahoma court denies new hearing for death row inmate

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma appeals court on Thursday denied death row inmate Richard Glossip’s request for a new evidentiary hearing that his attorneys recommend would show his innocence within the 1997 beating death of Glossip’s boss at an Oklahoma City motel.

Glossip’s attorneys raised a number of propositions in asking the Court of Criminal Appeals for a new hearing, together with that he’s factually harmless of the homicide, the state destroyed important proof, his trial attorneys had been ineffective and that he’s intellectually disabled.

But the court famous that Oklahoma legislation doesn’t permit defendants to proceed to attraction points which have both been raised beforehand or may have been raised earlier however weren’t. The court additionally forged doubt on Glossip’s principle that his co-defendant, Justin Sneed, acted alone or together with his girlfriend to rob and kill Barry Van Treese.

“The evidence he proffers to support this theory consists of affidavits from jailhouse informers, drug dealers, exotic dancers and residents of the Best Budget Inn,” the court wrote. “These affidavits do not provide the clear and convincing evidence that Glossip would like this court to believe.”

Glossip, who has lengthy maintained he’s harmless within the murder-for-hire killing of Van Treese, has narrowly averted execution a number of instances, together with in 2015 when his deadly injection was referred to as off on the final minute when the wrong drug was delivered to the prison. That drug mix-up led to a moratorium on the death penalty in Oklahoma that lasted for greater than six years earlier than the state resumed executions final yr.

Earlier this month, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt issued Glossip another temporary reprieve from his scheduled Dec. 8 execution to provide the Court of Criminal Appeals extra time to think about his last-minute appeals. A separate attraction that alleges prosecutorial misconduct and an try by his co-defendant Sneed to recant his testimony, remains to be pending with the court.

“We still have another petition pending with the court setting forth Sneed’s desire to recant his testimony against Rich and, most shockingly, documenting the prosecutor’s serious misconduct in coaching Sneed to change his testimony in the middle of trial,” Glossip’s legal professional, Don Knight, stated in a press release. “Our fight to free this innocent man will continue, and we remain optimistic that truth and justice will prevail, both for Rich and the citizens of Oklahoma.”

Prosecutors acknowledge Glossip didn’t kill Van Treese, however preserve that he paid Sneed, the lodge upkeep man, to do it. Sneed, who obtained a life sentence however was spared the death penalty, was a key witness in two separate trials by which Glossip was convicted.

Attorney General John O’Connor famous the court discovered no proof that Sneed ever sought to recant his testimony in any significant method and that Sneed’s testimony at trial was corroborated by compelling proof.

“The litigation in this case is not over, but we are relieved for the family of Mr. Van Treese and for the people of Oklahoma that, after waiting so long for justice to be served, one more stage of litigation is behind them,” O’Connor stated in a press release.

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Follow Sean Murphy at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy

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