Prosecutorial Misconduct Triggers Food Fight

Letter to Romans: Our Founding Fathers wanted fair criminal trials & the death row inmate who ate 3 last meals will get a 2d one after US Sup Ct recently reversed his poisoned conviction. Now, the state judge grants bail pending that retrial 30 years later.

This isn’t quite one of those “exoneration” cases we’ve read about, at least, not yet. But as the Fox News coverage reported, the reversal of fortunes came about after realizing prosecutors had “failed to correct false testimony by the admitted killer” who himself had avoided execution by testifying against the thrice condemned man: “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 – and had three last meal requests.” That latest news comes after Oklahoma judge Natalie Mai ruled she had no choice but to grant bail in light of the Supremes’ earlier chastisement of prosecutors, while setting bond at $500K & requiring electronic monitor.

The High Court’s ruling had turned on belated revelations the prosecutors withheld evidence that Justin Sneed, Glossip’s accuser, had serious mental health history & credibility issues. Glossip had been convicted for Sneed’s beating his motel boss to death, on Glossip’s supposed orders in a murder-for-hire plot. In a press conference, the defense attorney suggested the trial judge granted bail to Glossip because she now recognized the prosecutors are left with a “weak” case. Defense counsel added: “Mr. Glossip … now looks forward to the day when he is exonerated and truly free from this decades-long nightmare.” So far, the state prosecutors are digging in, insisting they can get another first-degree murder conviction after nearly 30 years have passed, albeit as a proverbial second bite at the once poisoned apple …

Davd Soul