OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – A bunch of three dozen lawmakers, together with 28 republicans, are asking Gov. Kevin Stitt and the state pardon and parole board to reopen the investigation that led to Oklahoma death-row inmate Richard Glossip’s conviction.
The group stated new proof discovered by Glossip’s lawyer ought to immediate an unbiased investigation into the 1997 beating dying of motel proprietor Barry Van Treese on the Finest Funds Inn in Oklahoma Metropolis.
“I’m pleading with the governor and the pardon and parole board to look into this case,” Rep. Kevin McDugle stated. “As a result of I can’t enable it on my watch to place an harmless man to dying right here within the state of Oklahoma.”
Thirty-four lawmakers from either side of the aisle signed the request after practically half of them took a visit to the state’s dying row in McAlester.
“If we’re going to condemn somebody to capitol punishment, we’ve got an ethical obligation to verify we’re not sending anybody harmless to dying,” stated Rep. Mickey Dollens.
Van Treese’s convicted killer, Justin Sneed, obtained a life sentence in return for testifying towards Glossip. Nonetheless, Glossip’s protection lawyer claims new proof consists of accounts from individuals who stated Sneed solely implicated Glossip to spare himself from the dying penalty.
“And what did he get out of it?” requested Rep. McDugle. “He now not will get dying row. He will get life in jail whereas Glossip will get dying row.”
Glossip escaped the dying penalty in 2015 after a botched execution and drug mix-up.
Glossip’s lawyer, Don Knight, is now on a mission. He stated new proof and witnesses will exonerate his consumer. He stated he’s discovered lacking items to the puzzle police by no means discovered by way of his personal investigation.
“This investigation from the police ran one week. It ran from the primary time they talked to Wealthy Glossip and the time after they caught Justin Sneed and talked to him. We won’t even discover that they did a lot of an investigation even in that one week,” stated Knight.
Knight stated one potential star witness talked to Sneed within the Oklahoma County Detention Middle, who allegedly stated Sneed and his girlfriend cooked up the plan to feed their meth addition. Nonetheless, he regretted not strolling away with a lot money.
“Sneed would generally remark that he couldn’t imagine he had killed a person for thus little cash. He ended up someplace round $4,000,” stated Knight, as he learn from the inmate’s sworn affidavit.
District Lawyer David Prater stated that is all an act and stated the lawmakers by no means reached out to him about any of those claims.
“They haven’t requested transcripts of court docket proceedings, appellate briefs or anything,” he stated in a press release to KFOR.
Prater’s full assertion on Glossip is as follows:
“We’re a nation of legal guidelines. We should strictly adhere to the rule of legislation and the method of the administration of these legal guidelines. The legislation and the authorized course of guarantee that allegations and claimed data have some indicia of reliability and truthfulness.
I depend on the authorized course of to sanitize the venomous accusations made towards me. I’m assured that the rule of legislation will once more rule the day and not one of the falsehoods and lies will survive.
It’s regarding to me that the Legislators who’ve signed the letter to the Governor and the Pardon and Parole Board, a lot of whom are attorneys, have by no means tried to contact me concerning the Glossip case. They’ve made no inquiry about any of the claims made by the killer’s legal professionals or supporters. They haven’t requested transcripts of court docket proceedings, appellate briefs or anything. The killer has exercised and exhausted each constitutional and statutory proper as he has gone by way of the trial course of and each the state and federal appellate course of. Each court docket has reviewed his claims and have denied him any reduction.
Paradoxically, the very individuals who have signed this letter work in a legislative system that operates in a black gap. These Oklahoma Legislators have even exempted themselves from the Oklahoma Open Information and Open Conferences act. They function behind closed doorways inside a course of designed to evade public scrutiny. I problem the signors of this letter to permit the identical scrutiny of themselves and their legislative course of because the legislation supplies for the court docket system and me.
Lastly, possibly it’s time for these legislators to have an sincere and honest debate concerning the dying penalty in Oklahoma. Do we’ve got a dying penalty in Oklahoma or can we not? The residents of Oklahoma have overwhelmingly supported the dying penalty as judged by a not too long ago balloted state query. Why are the legislators taking part in video games by way of political theater like this press convention and letter right now? Cease avoiding the tough discussions and cease mendacity to the households of murdered victims!”
DISTRICT ATTORNEY DAVID PRATER
An Oklahoma Lawyer Normal’s Workplace spokesperson issued the next assertion, saying Glossip had his day in court docket twice and that the pardon and parole board already denied clemency unanimously:
“Richard Glossip had two trials. A complete of 24 jurors unanimously selected the sentence of dying. His case has exhausted each state and federal appeals, together with denial by the U.S. Supreme Courtroom.
Moreover, Glossip has been denied a clemency advice by a unanimous vote of the Pardon and Parole Board.
In 2015, in his final attraction to the Oklahoma Courtroom of Legal Appeals, Glossip raised claims that concerned allegations of precise innocence. The Courtroom reviewed every declare and located “Glossip has offered no credible proof.
Choose Robert Hudson, in his concurring opinion in Glossip’s case stated, “this court docket’s guidelines and instances don’t impede the elevating of precise innocence claims at any stage of an attraction.” And that is nonetheless the right discussion board for presentation for any alleged new proof.
Glossip had his day in court docket. Two juries of his friends have spoken.
Our ideas stay with the household of Mr. Barry Van Treese, the sufferer of this horrendous homicide.”
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR ALEX GERSZEWSKI, OKLAHOMA ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE
Knight stated he’s keen to put his playing cards out on the desk so long as the state does as nicely.
“I’m hopeful that the Oklahoma County District Lawyer will do the identical along with his playing cards and an unbiased investigator will check out this case and inform us precisely what occurred right here,” Knight stated.
Knight stated executions might begin again up within the state as early as August. He additionally stated Glossip is staying optimistic about getting one other attraction.
Glossip Letter to Governor by KFOR on Scribd
Glossip 1 Pager by KFOR on Scribd
