In a unanimous ruling, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal...

In a unanimous ruling, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals struck down the conviction and death sentence handed down against Richard Eugene Glossip in a jury trial before Oklahoma County District Judge Richard W. Freeman. Glossip was accused of conspiring to kill Barry Van Treese The appeals court ordered a new trial, agreeing with the findings of District Judge Twyla Gray, who reviewed the case at the state court's request and found that the defendant received an inadequate defense. The state court also said that "credible evidence" existed to show that at least 1 Bible was brought into the jury room and "may have well been referred to in and during jury deliberations." The court said it was not deciding the case by concluding that utilizing the Bible constituted "an improper influence" on the jury's deliberations. "However, we are compelled to caution trial courts to remind jurors they are to utilize only the jury instructions and consider only the evidence presented at trial in arriving at their determinations of guilt and sentence. "Any outside reference material, including but not limited to Bibles or other religious documents, dictionaries or any other reference book, should not be taken into or utilized during jury deliberations."