24 April 2017 :
Florida House unanimously apologizes to families of "Groveland Four," two of whom were murdered and two of whom were wrongly sentenced to death. On Tuesday, the Florida House voted to formally apologize for the prosecution and persecution of the “Groveland Four” — Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd and Ernest Thomas. Their story, long neglected, is now a step away from being formally recognized by the Legislature. The Senate is expected to adopt the apology soon. “This is a glorious day,” Carol Greenlee said Tuesday, struggling for composure as she spoke with lawmakers moments before the vote. “And still today, the tears are hard to hold back. But today, the tears are tears of joy. And I want to thank all of you, all of you, for releasing my family from prison.” She was joined at an event in the Capitol by the legislation’s sponsors, other family members of the victims, House Speaker Richard Corcoran and authors and petition writers who helped make the apology possible. The legislation would also ask Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet to quickly consider posthumous pardons for the men. Sponsored by Sen. Gary Farmer and Rep. Bobby DuBose, the bill was set for a Senate vote next week, but Tuesday’s actions means the measure will be expedited. In a press conference prior to the vote, Farmer said, “We can’t turn back the hands of time, but we can right our mistake.” The incident began On July 16, 1949, when a 17-year-old woman, Norma Padgett, and her husband claimed that the four men raped her near Groveland in Lake County. Three of the men were tortured until two confessed to the crime. Thomas, who initially escaped, was killed in Madison County after a manhunt. The other three men were convicted, with Greenlee receiving a life sentence and Irvin and Shepherd condemned to death. An appeal of Irvin and Shepherd’s convictions, spearheaded by future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall (at that time a civil rights lawyer that worked for the NAACP), prompted the high court to overturn the verdict in 1951. Irvin and Shepherd were shot several months later, purportedly in self-defense, by Sheriff Willis McCall and a deputy. Shepherd was killed. After Irvin was convicted and sentenced to death again, Gov. LeRoy Collins commuted his sentence. Irvin was paroled in 1968 and died two years later. Greenlee, who was paroled in 1962, died in 2012. DuBose, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat sponsored the House proposal (HCR 631).
