Supreme Court To Review Case Of Oklahoma Death Row Inmate Richard Glossip

The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday morning in a case involving Oklahoma death row inmate Richard Glossip.

Glossip has been on death row for more than 20 years. Both his attorneys and the state of Oklahoma will argue that his conviction and death sentence should be overturned because he did not receive a fair trial.

Glossip was convicted in the 1997 murder of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. He has always maintained his innocence.

Another man, Justin Sneed, admitted to robbing Van Treese and beating him to death, but he claims he did so after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000. Sneed received a life sentence in exchange for his testimony against Glossip.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has said Glossip did not receive a fair trial.

"I discovered that the state of Oklahoma knew that the star witness withheld the truth, and we didn't correct that star witness," Drummond said. "And I also know that certain information was withheld from Mr. Glossip's defense team. And that's not fair. Now, is Mr. Glossip guilty? I believe he is. But was he given a fair trial? He was not."

The appeal centers on a handwritten note by an assistant prosecutor during a 2003 meeting with Sneed.

The attorney for the Van Treese family disputes the significance of the note, arguing that the information was known to the defense and was not withheld.

The Van Treese family says Drummond has been asked several times to talk with prosecutors about their notes, but he hasn't.

Justices will begin hearing arguments on Wednesday morning, but they are not expected to make a ruling until the summer.