Crosley Green returns to prison after his release two years ago

Daily News Lesson

April 18, 2023, 4:24 p.m.

Crosley Green returns to prison after his release two years ago

Summary

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.

Five Facts

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? Analyzing the media: 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? Alternative : See, Think, Wonder : What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What story would you want to find out more about? Where would you go to learn more?

For More

What students can do: 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?

"This Court has never held that the Constitution forbids the execution of a convicted defendant who has had a full and fair trial but is later able to convince a habeas court that he is 'actually' innocent'...Quite to the contrary, we have repeatedly left that question unresolved, while expressing considerable doubt that any claim based on alleged 'actual innocence' is constitutionally cognizable."

This story is part of NewsHour's " Searching for Justice " Series. Searching for Justice explores criminal justice reforms unfolding across the country, as the leaders from both sides of the political aisle attempt to end mass incarceration by rethinking laws that some say have become barriers to work, housing, and economic stability. Click here for more stories and the series and watch for more NewsHour Classroom lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories.

To learn more about the programs that allowed some people in prison to move to house arrest due to the pandemic, see this lesson.

Students might also want to watch this interview with Bryan Stevenson on changing the criminal justice system on behalf of children. A full lesson on the interview can be found here .

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