Glynn Ray Simmons, a former death row inmate in Oklahoma, has been exonerated after nearly 50 years in prison and will receive a settlement of more than $7 million from the city of Edmond. Simmons was wrongfully convicted of robbing a liquor store and fatally shooting the clerk, a crime he claims he did not commit as he was in Louisiana at the time. The city council voted to settle the lawsuit brought by Simmons, allowing him to move forward with his life after spending such a significant amount of time wrongfully incarcerated.
Police allegedly falsified a report, claiming that a witness identified Simmons and his co-defendant as the suspects in the liquor store robbery and murder. However, evidence was withheld showing that the witness actually identified two other people as suspects. Simmons was released from prison in July of last year after a judge vacated his conviction and sentence, ordering a new trial. The district attorney decided not to retry the case due to lack of physical evidence against Simmons, and a judge later exonerated him based on clear and convincing evidence of his innocence.
Simmons received $175,000 from the state of Oklahoma for his wrongful conviction, having served 48 years, one month, and 18 days in prison. This makes him the longest-serving inmate in the U.S. to be exonerated, according to The National Registry of Exonerations. Simmons and his co-defendant, Don Roberts, were both convicted in 1975 of the murder of a liquor store clerk in 1974 and were originally sentenced to death. However, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling declaring capital punishment unconstitutional, their sentences were reduced to life in prison without parole.
Roberts was released on parole in 2008, while Simmons continued to maintain his innocence. After years of legal battles, he was finally exonerated in December by a judge who found clear and convincing evidence of his innocence. Despite the tragic amount of time he spent wrongfully incarcerated, Simmons will be able to move forward with his life thanks to the settlement reached with the city of Edmond. This case sheds light on the flaws in the justice system that led to Simmons spending nearly half a century behind bars for a crime he did not commit.
The settlement of over $7 million represents a form of justice for Simmons, who has endured unimaginable suffering throughout his years in prison. While he may never fully recover the time that was taken from him, the settlement allows him to begin a new chapter in his life after being wrongfully convicted and serving such a lengthy sentence. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding justice and ensuring that innocent individuals are not unjustly imprisoned, and highlights the need for accountability within the criminal justice system to prevent similar injustices from occurring in the future.
