格洛西普诉俄克拉荷马州案

Richard Glossip was convicted and twice sentenced to death for the 1997 murder of motel owner Barry Van Treese in Oklahoma City. The prosecution relied almost entirely on the testimony of Justin Sneed, the actual killer, who testified against Glossip in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. Years later, the State disclosed documents showing Sneed had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and prescribed lithium, and that prosecutors had allowed him to falsely testify he had never seen a psychiatrist. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond conceded error and joined Glossip's request for a new trial, but the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals denied relief. The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari and issued its decision on February 25, 2025.

The Supreme Court reversed the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals' judgment in a 5-3 decision and remanded the case for a new trial. Justice Sotomayor delivered the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Kagan, Kavanaugh, and Jackson. Justice Thomas filed a dissenting opinion joined by Justice Alito. Following the ruling, Oklahoma Attorney General announced the State would retry Glossip but would not seek the death penalty.

Whether the prosecution's failure to correct Justin Sneed's false testimony—that he had never been prescribed lithium or seen a psychiatrist—violated the Due Process Clause under Napue v. Illinois, and whether the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals erred in denying post-conviction relief despite the State's concession of error.

The decision reaffirmed prosecutors' constitutional obligation to correct false witness testimony and provided important safeguards against wrongful executions. The case drew national attention to flaws in Oklahoma's death penalty system and the dangers of convictions based on uncorroborated jailhouse testimony. Glossip, who had been scheduled for execution nine times, was released on bond in May 2026 while awaiting retrial.