Supreme Court Will Hear Richard Glossip's Innocence Claim

Richard Glossip, whose case will be heard in the fall, has survived nine execution dates.

The Supreme Court will hear an appeal from Richard Glossip, a man on death row in Oklahoma who has maintained his innocence throughout several attempts by the state to execute him.

Glossip, whose case will be heard in the fall, has survived nine execution dates. Each time, his scheduled death has been delayed due to either questions about the legality of the state’s method of killing or because of the overwhelming evidence that he is not guilty of the crime for which he was sentenced to death.

In the years since Glossip’s first execution date in 2014, there have been a series of botched executions in Oklahoma, prompting researchers to examine the autopsies of the people who were killed. Those autopsies show signs that the the state’s lethal injection protocol may torture people as it kills them. At the same time, the stack of evidence pointing to Glossip’s innocence has continued to grow. At this point, Glossip’s innocence claims are so credible that Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond (R) — the state’s top prosecutor, who would typically defend a death sentence in court — is now trying to save Glossip’s life.

“Richard Glossip’s innocence case is unlike anything the country has ever seen,” Don Knight, an attorney for Glossip, said in a statement. “The Oklahoma Attorney General’s concession of error is historically unprecedented, as is the outpouring of support from 62 Oklahoma legislators, including at least 45 death penalty supporting Republican lawmakers. Two independent investigations cast grave doubts on the reliability of Mr. Glossip’s conviction.

“We are gratified that the United States Supreme Court has agreed that it is worthy of full consideration and look forward to our chance to help the Justices understand why it is critical that Mr. Glossip finally be given his chance at a fair trial.”