This marks the longest-known wrongful sentence in the United States. Simmons was released in July after a district court revealed crucial evidence had not been disclosed to his defence attorneys.
The county district attorney admitted on Monday that there was not enough evidence to warrant a new trial. The decisive exoneration came on Tuesday when Judge Amy Palumbo declared Simmons innocent, emphasising, “This court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the offence for which Mr Simmons was convicted… was not committed by Mr Simmons.”
Simmons, convicted in 1975 for the murder of Carolyn Sue Rogers during a liquor store robbery, maintained his innocence throughout. Originally sentenced to death alongside co-defendant Don Roberts, their punishments were later commuted to life imprisonment due to Supreme Court decisions on the death penalty.
The convictions relied on the testimony of a teenager who later contradicted her statements and identified different individuals during police line-ups.
Simmons, battling liver cancer, expressed relief at the long-awaited exoneration, stating, “What’s been done can’t be undone, but there can be accountability.” His case highlights the resilience needed for justice and raises questions about wrongful convictions and the accountability of legal processes.
