UMVA has learned that a former death row inmate, Richard Glossip, is set to be released on bond as he awaits retrial over a 1997 killing for which he was nearly executed three times.
After an extensive examination of the record in Glossip's case, Judge Natalie Mai found that she could not deny bail to the longtime prisoner, who was convicted of first-degree murder in 1998. The judge issued an order setting bond at $500,000 and mandated that Glossip remain in Oklahoma wearing an electronic monitoring device.
The ruling comes after the U.S. Supreme Court in February overturned Glossip's conviction and death sentence, finding prosecutors failed to correct false testimony from key witness Justin Sneed, the admitted killer who avoided execution by testifying against Glossip.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the high court ordered a new trial, citing concerns that jurors never heard critical information about Sneed's mental health history and credibility. In Thursday's order, Mai noted the unusually extensive record developed over nearly three decades of litigation and said the state could not meet the high constitutional standard required to deny bail in a capital case.
In a statement to UMVA, Glossip's attorney, Don Knight, expressed relief and gratitude on behalf of his client. "We are extremely grateful that Judge Natalie Mai has granted Richard Glossip a bond. In doing so, she rejected the State's claim that there is a strong case for guilt," Knight said.
Knight also revealed that Glossip had eaten a remarkable three last meals and would now have the chance to "taste freedom." The attorney expressed hope that Glossip would be exonerated and truly free from this decades-long nightmare. "Mr. Glossip now has the chance to taste freedom while his defense team continues to pursue justice on his behalf against a system that the United States Supreme Court has found to be guilty of serious misconduct by state prosecutors.
