The conviction of a man from Oklahoma who had been incarcerated for almost half a century for a crime that he did not commit was overturned by a court on Wednesday, December 20. He is 71 years old now.
Former death row convict Glynn Simmons was first freed in July after prosecutors reached an agreement that critical evidence in his case was not given over to his defense attorneys. Finally, his innocence has been formally determined.
In her ruling, Oklahoma County District Judge Amy Palumbo said, "This court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the offense for which Mr. Simmons was convicted, sentenced and imprisoned ... was not committed by Mr. Simmons."
Upon his conviction for the 1974 murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers, Simmons served 48 years, one month, and 18 days in jail. According to the statistical information gathered by the National Registry of Exonerations, he holds the record for being the longest-serving prisoner to be exonerated in the history of the United States.
Maintaining Innocence
Simmons always claimed that he was in Louisiana at the time that Rogers was shot and killed in a liquor shop in Edmond, according to the New York Post. This was his defense throughout his trial and his imprisonment.
Death sentences were handed down to Simmons and co-defendant Don Roberts in 1975 after their conviction for the crime. A life sentence was substituted for the death penalty in 1977 as a result of decisions made by the Supreme Court on the death penalty.
While Simmons remained inside, Roberts was granted parole in 2008.
In July, the district attorney's office disclosed that the prosecution concealed information from the defense in Simmons' case, leading to Palumbo's order for a new trial.
This withheld information included a police report where witnesses would have named more suspects. In September, it was said that Simmons would not be retried since there was no physical evidence linking him to the scene.
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'Resilience and Tenacity'
Upon hearing the judge's decision, Simmons triumphantly raised his arms outside the courtroom. Reporters asked him how he felt about finally being able to establish his innocence after decades in prison.
"It's a lesson in resilience and tenacity. Don't let nobody tell you that it (exoneration) can't happen, because it really can," he stated.
According to defense attorney Joe Norwood, who made the announcement on Wednesday, Simmons is now enjoying his freedom while surviving on contributions from a GoFundMe campaign.
Norwood revealed that his client has the legal right to seek redress from the state for a wrongful conviction of up to $175,000 and has the option to sue federally against Oklahoma City and the officials responsible for his detention and conviction. The lawyer, however, claims that the sum in question will be available in a few years.
