In a historic settlement, the city of Edmond, Oklahoma, has agreed to pay $7.15 million to Glynn Simmons, a 71-year-old Black man who spent nearly five decades in prison for a murder he did not commit.
Simmons, who holds the record for the longest time served by a wrongfully convicted individual in US history, was exonerated last year after spending 48 years, one month, and 18 days behind bars.
Settlement and Lawsuit Details
On Monday, Edmond city councillors approved the settlement to resolve claims against the city and a detective involved in the investigation that led to Simmons’s wrongful conviction, as shown in public records.
According to his lawyers, the payment is a “partial settlement” of his lawsuit against the cities and police departments responsible for falsifying evidence and framing him for murder.
“Mr. Simmons spent a tragic amount of time incarcerated for a crime he did not commit,” said Elizabeth Wang, lead attorney for Simmons.
“Although he will never get that time back, this settlement with Edmond will allow him to move forward while also continuing to press his claims against Oklahoma City and a leading detective.”
Background of the Case
Simmons and Don Roberts, another man, were both sentenced to death in 1975 for the murder of a 30-year-old liquor store clerk during a robbery in Edmond the previous year.
Their sentences were later commuted to life imprisonment. The conviction was based solely on the testimony of a teenage customer who survived a headshot during the robbery and identified them in a police lineup.
However, a subsequent investigation raised serious doubts about the reliability of the survivor’s identification.
Both Simmons and Roberts maintained at trial that they were not even in Oklahoma at the time of the murder.
Exoneration and Legal Proceedings
US District Court Judge Amy Palumbo overturned Simmons’s conviction in July last year, and he was officially declared innocent in December. Roberts, Simmons’s co-defendant, had been released from prison in 2008.
In response to the settlement, a spokesperson for Edmond declined to comment when approached by AFP.
Looking Forward
The settlement marks a significant step in acknowledging the grave injustice faced by Simmons. However, his legal team remains committed to pursuing further action against Oklahoma City and the detective involved in his wrongful conviction.
