Crosley Green Returns to Prison After His Release Two Years Ago
Ask Students: How many years did Green spend in prison before his release? When did a judge overturn Green’s conviction, and why? Which court then overturned that decision?
After more than three decades behind bars for a murder he says he did not commit, a man released on house arrest during the pandemic is now going back to prison. But many questions remain about whether Florida is locking up an innocent man for the rest of his life. William Brangham reports for our series, Searching for Justice.
For a transcript of this story, click here.
Key Terms
Brady violation - A constitutional violation that occurs when prosecutors fail to share information they have with a criminal defendants defense attorneys that might be evidence of the defendant’s innocence. The rule is named after a 1963 Supreme Court case, Brady v. Maryland.
Appeals court - A court that hears arguments about the constitutionality of convictions or other criminal rulings. An appeals court might hear arguments from attorneys of someone convicted of a crime about whether or not their trial was fair or violated constitutional protections, which may result in a conviction being overturned or a case retried in court.
Discussion Questions
- Who is profiled in this story?
- Where (in what state) was Crosley Green imprisoned?
- How many years did Green spend in prison before his release?
- When did a judge overturn Green’s conviction, and why? Which court then overturned that decision?
- Why was Green’s conviction reinstated last year?
Focus Questions
How do you think cases like Green’s should be revisited when new information (such as the notes taken by police officers on the scene) come to light?
Media Literacy: How do you think the timing of this story (Green interviewed the day he learns he must return to prison the next day) influenced its effect on audiences?
Extension Activity
Talk with a friend or family member about this story and how we got to this point in the nation’s history that a person does not have any constitutional right to prove innocence after a conviction. (Note that Crosley Green’s only legal recourse is parole or a grant of clemency from Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, according to his lawyers).
- Discuss: Do you think prisoners who have evidence that they are innocent be allowed to present that evidence after a jury has found them guilty? Read Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s 2009 dissent of the Court’s order for a federal trial court in Georgia to consider the case of death row inmate Troy Davis.
- Do you think justice is being served here? Why or why not?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS News Hour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories. The site combines the best of News Hour's reliable, trustworthy news program with lesson plans developed specifically for... See More
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