Oklahoma Stay of Execution
In 1997 Richard Glossip was convicted of hiring Justin Sneed to kill his boss, Barry Van Treese. There was no physical evidence linking Glossip to the murder, but Sneed accepted a plea and testified against Glossip.
Waiting
Glossip was given the death penalty and has spent the past 17 years in prison waiting for his execution date. Glossip’s execution date was set for September 16th at 3 p.m. at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester.
The last minute
The Oklahoma lawyers representing Glossip filed for a stay of execution with the Oklahoma Supreme Court in light of new evidence. The Court granted a two-week stay of execution three hours before he was set to be executed. The official statement reads:
“Due to Glossip’s last minute filing, and in order to for this Court to give fair consideration to the materials included with his subsequent application for post-conviction relief, we hereby grant an emergency stay of execution for two weeks.”
Midazolam
The controversy did not stop at the guilty verdict in this case. Not only is the conviction debated, the manner in which Glossip is set to be executed is also highly controversial. Glossip is set to be the first person in a year executed using the lethal drug Midazolam. This is the same drug that caused Clayton Lockett to writhe in pain for 43 minutes during his execution in Oklahoma.
What’s Next?
The two-week stay gives Glossip’s attorneys time to file more motions. The attorneys have already reached out to Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin asking for a 60-day reprieve. Currently Glossip is set to be executed on September 30, 2015.
Attorney Jacquelyn Ford has been an outspoken supporter of Glossip’s case. She is ready to zealously defend anyone in need of criminal defense in Oklahoma.
