Glynn Ray Simmons, a former death row inmate, has been exonerated after spending nearly 50 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. The city of Edmond, Oklahoma has agreed to pay him $7.15 million in a settlement, making him the longest-serving inmate to be declared innocent of a crime. Simmons, who was 22 years old when he was convicted, was released from prison in July 2023 after a judge vacated his conviction and sentence and ordered a new trial. District Attorney Vickie Behenna announced that she wouldn’t retry the case due to lack of physical evidence against Simmons.
The lawsuit filed by Simmons against the Oklahoma City suburb and a former police detective also makes similar claims against Oklahoma City itself. The lawsuit alleges that police falsified a report by stating that a witness identified Simmons and a co-defendant as the individuals responsible for a robbery and shooting. It also alleges that police withheld evidence that the witness identified two other people as suspects. Simmons and his co-defendant, Don Roberts, were both convicted of the murder of a liquor store clerk and sentenced to death. Roberts was released on parole in 2008.
Despite spending almost five decades in prison, Simmons has maintained his innocence, stating that he was in Louisiana at the time of the crime. A judge exonerated him in December, citing “clear and convincing evidence” that he did not commit the crime. Simmons has also received $175,000 from the state of Oklahoma for wrongful conviction. He is now able to move forward with his life thanks to the settlement with Edmond city. His attorney, Elizabeth Wang, expressed optimism about holding Oklahoma City and the retired detective accountable in the pending trial scheduled for March.
Simmons’ case highlights the incredible injustice that can occur within the criminal justice system. Being the longest-imprisoned U.S. inmate to be exonerated, Simmons’s story sheds light on the flaws and shortcomings of the legal system. The fact that physical evidence is no longer available to retry his case underscores the importance of thorough investigations and evidence collection in criminal prosecutions. Simmons’ case serves as a reminder of the need for reform and accountability within law enforcement agencies to prevent such miscarriages of justice from happening in the future.
The settlement with Edmond city signifies a step towards justice for Simmons and a form of closure after his long ordeal. The financial compensation can never fully make up for the lost years and trauma he experienced, but it is a small measure of reparation for the grave injustice he suffered. Moving forward, Simmons can hopefully find some peace and rebuild his life after being wrongfully imprisoned for nearly half a century. The case also serves as a reminder of the resilience and perseverance of individuals who fight against all odds to prove their innocence and seek justice. With public attention on cases like Simmons’, there is hope for continued efforts towards reforming the criminal justice system to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.
