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Oklahoma city approves over $7 million settlement with man wrongfully imprisoned for 48 years | CNN

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Oklahoma city approves over  million settlement with man wrongfully imprisoned for 48 years | CNN




CNN
 — 

The city of Edmond, Oklahoma, has agreed to a $7.15 million settlement with a man who served 48 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, his attorney announced.

Glynn Simmons, now 71, served 48 years, one month and 18 days following his murder conviction in a 1974 shooting. He was released on bond in July 2023 after a judge vacated a 1975 judgment and sentence at the request of the Oklahoma County district attorney. His case was eventually dismissed in December 2023.

Simmons served the longest wrongful incarceration of any exoneree in the US, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. The average length of wrongful incarceration is just over nine years, said the registry, which tracks exonerations going back to 1989.

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Simmons was 22 when he and another man were convicted of murdering Carolyn Sue Rogers during a liquor store robbery, according to the district attorney’s office.

The prosecution’s case at trial depended on the testimony of an 18-year-old woman who was shot in the head during the robbery, the exonerations registry said.

“Mr. Simmons spent a tragic amount of time incarcerated for a crime he did not commit. 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 the Oklahoma City defendants,” attorney Elizabeth Wang said in a news release sent to CNN.

“We are very much looking forward to holding them accountable at trial in March,” the release said.

CNN has reached out to Simmons for comment.

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The settlement resolves Simmons’ claims against the City of Edmond and the estate of former Edmond detective Anthony David Garret.

Additional claims against Oklahoma City and retired Oklahoma City detective Claude Shobert remain pending, according to the release.

“The city has no comment at this time,” Edmond Marketing and Public Relations Manager Bill Begley said.

Oklahoma City spokesperson Valerie Littlejohn declined comment “as it is pending litigation.”

Simmons was convicted in a 1974 murder that happened while he was “700 miles away in Harvey, Louisiana, celebrating the holidays with family and friends, according to the attorney’s release.

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“No physical evidence ever connected him to the crime,” the release said.

“The only ‘evidence’ against him was grossly falsified police line-ups and reports and police manipulation of a victim who briefly witnessed the crime before being horribly injured during it.”

Simmons’ release came after the district attorney’s office found evidence was withheld from his defense attorneys – a so-called Brady violation – the district attorney said in a news release at the time.

Oklahoma County District Court Judge Amy Palumbo then amended the order in December 2023, dismissing the case against him without prejudice.

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Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next

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Oklahoma State outlasts UCF in overtime, Houston next


ORLANDO, Fla. –

The Oklahoma State Cowboys men’s basketball bounced back in a big way Tuesday night.

Anthony Roy scored 27 points and Kanye Clary added 23, including seven in overtime, as Oklahoma State defeated the UCF Knights men’s basketball 111-104 in Orlando.

The Cowboys controlled the extra period, finishing overtime on an 11-4 run and outscoring UCF 17-10.

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Clary played a major role in closing it out. He hit a key 3-pointer and went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in overtime to help seal the win.

The victory moves Oklahoma State to 18-12 overall and 6-11 in the Big 12, and gives the Cowboys two wins in their last three games after snapping a five-game losing streak. UCF, now 20-9 (9-8 Big 12), has dropped two straight.

Roy and Clary led a balanced offensive effort. Jaylen Curry and Christian Coleman each added 16 points, while the Cowboys shot 49% from the field (35-of-72) and 80% from the free throw line (32-of-40).

Themus Fulks led UCF with 22 points, while Riley Kugel added 18.

Late-game drama forces overtime

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The final seconds of regulation were chaotic.

With 24 seconds remaining, Isaiah Coleman threw down a dunk to give Oklahoma State a 94-91 lead.

But UCF answered quickly when Chris Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left, tying the game at 94-94.

Oklahoma State had a chance to win it at the buzzer, but Jaylen Curry missed a shot, and John Bol blocked Roy’s attempt, sending the game to overtime.

Cowboys respond after tough loss

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The Cowboys showed resilience after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Cincinnati.

The team traveled directly to Orlando following that defeat and was pushed through two intense practices by head coach Steve Lutz and the coaching staff.

The response was clear.

Led by Roy’s scoring and Clary’s clutch overtime performance, Oklahoma State delivered a gritty win and swept the season series against UCF

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Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon

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Oklahoma City police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon


Oklahoma City Police are investigating after a man was shot near Yukon Monday night.

The shooting happened near Northwest 10th Street and South Yukon Parkway near the border of Yukon and Oklahoma City.

Police are on the scene, and officials said the victim was transported to the hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the hip.

OKCPD said they have at least one person in custody.

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This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Oklahoma lawmakers consider bill to require annual fee for transmission lines on private property

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Oklahoma lawmakers consider bill to require annual fee for transmission lines on private property


As consumer electricity needs grow, lawmakers are discussing strategies to ease the burden on landowners who don’t want the towers and wires carrying that energy on their property.

As it’s written now, the bill would require transmission owners to pay landowners $2 per foot of line annually. During the committee meeting, Murdock said he introduced the legislation to “start a conversation.”

“ This is an idea of, maybe moving forward, if the landowners are getting a royalty off of the power being pushed across their property, it may make it a little more palatable for someone to have a transmission line go across their property,” he said.

Landowners can enter into easement agreements with companies to set aside portions of their land for the builds. But in some cases, eminent domain is used to obtain a right-of-way.

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“ I’m not saying that this is going to do away with eminent domain,” Murdock said. “What I’m hoping is this just makes it a little more palatable.”

Murdock said he spoke with utility companies about the legislation, though he didn’t name them. The bill’s language could change after creating an alternative rate based on conversations with the companies, he said.

Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, said the bill could raise utility rates for consumers living in Oklahoma’s most populous counties if companies charge more to make up for the annual fee.

Murdock pushed back, noting the lines are necessary to deliver electricity to other counties.

“You understand that you flip that light on because — and have that ability to have electricity because — the people in my district have a transmission line that goes across them, getting you that power,” he said.

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