U.S. Supreme Court Considers New Trial For Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip

The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing the decision to potentially order a new trial for Richard Glossip, a death row inmate convicted of murder in 1997.

The justices heard arguments in Glossip v. Oklahoma Wednesday, with one side claiming Glossip did not receive a fair trial, while the other urged that his conviction should be upheld.

Oral arguments typically last an hour, but today’s session extended to nearly two hours as the justices had numerous questions.

This case has created an unusual alliance between Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond and Glossip, who both argue that the prosecution withheld evidence at trial. They contend that this misconduct warrants the dismissal of Glossip's conviction and death sentence.

The Van Treese family, whose member Barry Van Treese was murdered, filed an amicus brief supporting the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, which has consistently upheld Glossip’s conviction. Family members attended the hearing and expressed frustration over Drummond's involvement in the case after 27 years of pursuing justice.

Derek Van Treese, the victim's son, said, "You know, we had to obtain additional resources to represent the family in this case, and those deals weren't necessarily upheld by the state of Oklahoma, as they had been until the current attorney general. That’s been a bit frustrating."

Former Solicitor General Seth Waxman represented Glossip during the hearing. Glossip, who listened to the live stream of the session from prison, has survived nine execution dates and continues to maintain faith in the justice system.

Waxman stated, "I'm representing somebody who was denied due process 27 years ago...and I’ll go so far as to say that somebody who has had that experience and still has faith in the system, which Mr. Glossip does, is quite extraordinary."