Glynn Simmons, who spent nearly five decades in prison for a crime he did not commit, has reached a $7.15 million settlement with the city of Edmond, Oklahoma. The agreement marks a major step in Simmons' long fight for justice, as he continues to pursue legal action against other parties involved in his wrongful conviction.
Simmons, now 71, was convicted in 1975 for the murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers during a liquor store robbery in 1974. He was just 22 years old when he was sentenced to death, later commuted to life in prison following a 1977 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. His conviction rested heavily on the testimony of a witness who had been severely injured due to being shot in the head during the robbery. However, the legal team representing Simmons has argued that the police manipulated this witness and falsified reports to secure Simmons' conviction. There was no physical evidence linking Simmons to the crime, and at the time of the murder, he was 700 miles away in Louisiana.
After spending 48 years behind bars, Simmons was released on bond in July 2023 after Oklahoma County District Court Judge Amy Palumbo vacated his original conviction and sentence. By December 2023, the case against him was dismissed with prejudice, officially acknowledging his innocence.
Simmons subsequently filed a federal lawsuit against several parties, including the estate of Edmond detective Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Garrett and retired Oklahoma City detective Claude Shobert, as well as the cities of Edmond and Oklahoma City. The $7.15 million settlement with Edmond resolves Simmons' claims against Garrett's estate and the city, but his case against Shobert and Oklahoma City remains ongoing, with a jury trial scheduled for March 2025.
Simmons’ legal battle centers on the argument that key evidence was intentionally withheld by investigators, violating his constitutional rights. This type of misconduct falls under what is known as a Brady violation, named after the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, which established that suppression of evidence favorable to the defense by the prosecution violates due process. In Simmons’ case, the evidence that could have proved his innocence was not only withheld but also allegedly manipulated to ensure his conviction.
As part of his pursuit of justice, Simmons is also expected to receive $175,000 in compensation from the state of Oklahoma under a tort claim filed earlier this year. This compensation, however, pales in comparison to the nearly five decades he lost to wrongful incarceration.
