'Justice was done today, finally': Judge declares wrongfully incarcerated man innocent 48 years after conviction
Glynn Simmons, a man wrongfully convicted of murder in 1975, has finally been declared innocent by an Oklahoma County District Judge. After more than 48 years behind bars, Simmons is America's longest-serving exoneree.
OKLAHOMA COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) - America's longest-serving wrongfully convicted man was back in Oklahoma County District Court on Tuesday.
Glynn Simmons, 71, served 48 years, one month and 18 days for a murder he did not commit.
It's a story News 4 has been covering in depth for 20 years.
News 4's Ali Meyer was in the courtroom with Simmons as the judge made her ruling.
After nearly 50 years of defeats, Simmons and his legal team finally won this year.
On Tuesday, Simmons asked a judge to declare him innocent of The Edmond Liquor Store Murder of 1974.
On the night of the murder, December 30, 1974, Simmons wasn't even in the State of Oklahoma.
He and a co-defendant, Don Roberts, were railroaded into a death penalty conviction in an unfair trial where the only evidence against them was the testimony of a traumatized teenager who had been shot in the back of the head.
That eyewitness picked out several other Black men in series of police lineups in early 1975.
Glynn Simmons pleaded not-guilty to the crime; he has always maintained his innocence.
In 2003, News 4 started reporting in-depth on Simmons' questionable conviction.
Last year, Simmons attorney, Joe Norwood, asked the court to take another look.
"[Glynn Simmons] had 50 years stolen from him," Norwood said. "The prime earning years of his life, when he could have been getting experiences and developing skills. That was taken from him by no fault of his own."
In April, the District Attorney Vicki Behenna admitted Simmons' trial was unfair.
In July, Judge Amy Palumbo tossed out Simmons' murder conviction.
This week, Simmons asked the court for a declaration of innocence.
From the bench, Judge Palumbo read her order aloud, finding "by clear and convincing evidence that the offense for which Mr. Simmons was convicted, sentenced and imprisoned.... was not committed by Mr. Glynn Simmons."
Simmons now has a legal distinction few ever receive: actually innocent.
"This is a day we've been waiting on for a long long time," Simmons said. "It finally came. We can say justice was done today, finally. I'm happy."
Norwood plans to file a lawsuit against all agencies involved in Simmons' wrongful conviction.
The process often takes months or even years.
"If there is any compensation for Glynn, it's in the future," Norwood said. "For now, he's living off the generosity of other people."
The judge's finding of actual innocence is essential for Simmons to sue for compensation for the 48 years, five months, 18 days he spent behind bars for a murder he did not commit.
"What's been done can't be undone," Simmons said. "But there can be accountability. That's what I'm about right now, accountability."
In Oklahoma, wrongful conviction settlements are limited by statute to a maximum of $175,000.