Robert D. Simms

Robert D. Simms (February 6, 1926 – January 31, 2008) was a justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court from 1972 to 1999. He served as chief justice in 1985 to 1986.

Robert D. Simms was born in Sand Springs, Tulsa County, Oklahoma on February 6, 1926 in Tulsa. Son of Matthew Scott and Bessie L. (Moore) Simms. He attended Milligan College, Phillips University and got a Bachelor of Laws at Tulsa University. Served with United States Navy, 1943–1946.

Early life Simms was a native of Sand Springs and graduated from Sand Springs High School in 1943. He won the Craftsman Award given to an outstanding senior boy. He then attended Milligan College, a church related liberal arts college in eastern Tennessee, and Phillips University, another church-related school, in Enid, Oklahoma. Judge Simms received his law degree from the University of Tulsa College of Law in 1950.In 1975 he received a TU College of Law Annual Faculty and Alumni Award for his outstanding service to the legal profession.

Career in law Starting in 1950 he began private law practice in Sand Springs. He became Assistant Tulsa County Attorney (1953–1954), Chief Prosecutor in County Attorney's office (1955–1958) Tulsa County Attorney (1958–1962), and judge of the Oklahoma District Court, District 14, (1962–1971), Oklahoma Court Criminal Appeals (1971–1972) and justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, (1985–2000). Member Oklahoma Crime Commission.

He spent one year on the state Court of Criminal Appeals before his appointment to the Oklahoma Supreme Court in 1972. He served as the chief justice in 1985 and 1986. He retired in October 1999.

Post-retirement Multicounty Grand Jury In 2001, after Robert Simms had retired from the bench, his judicial talents were summoned again for a special service. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, in October 2001, and the Oklahoma Attorney General had authorized the empaneling of a Multicounty Grand Jury (MGJ) to investigate a variety of offenses in all seventy-seven counties of the state. Simms was named as presiding judge of the MGJ. (The scope of any MGJ investigation is limited to offenses that affect two or more counties.) Offenses that affect only a single county are excluded from MGJ purview.

The MGJ's activities resulted in 10 indictments, containing 115 separate counts against 17 individuals. These were delivered to the state Attorney General for prosecution or further investigation. The MGJ also recommend certain changes in state laws to clarify the requirements of agency employees. They had one son, Robert Simms, Jr., who is married and has two sons.