Groveland Four

The term "Groveland Four" was coined by the newspapers, for the American "cause celebre" in which four African-American men accused of raping a Caucasian woman in Groveland, Florida in 1949. The four men were Ernest Thomas, Charles Greenlee, Sam Shepherd and Walter Irvin.

Ernest Thomas fled the night of the incident. He was tracked down by a posse days later, 200 miles away. He was shot and killed by that posse. Officers reported that Thomas was armed and reached for his weapon.

Orlando attorney, Franklin Williams,after consulting with NAACP lawyers, claimed that deputies had beaten the three surviving suspects while making them stand on broken glass, hands tied to a pipe above their heads. Medical testimony was never given to back up the accusations that the suspects were beaten prior to their confessions. The prosecution did not bring the confessions into evidence instead relying on testimonies and physical evidence. cite book|title=From Jim Crowe to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality|author=Klarman, Michael J.|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University press|ISBN=0195129032] Sheriff Willis V. McCall's deputies were also accused of manufacturing evidence in this case to win a conviction.

Charles Greenlee, who was 16 at the time, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He did not appeal and was released on parole in 1962. He moved to Tennessee becoming a successful businessman and family man.

Sam Shepherd and Walter Irvin were given the death penalty, each were World War II veterans of the United States Army having just been dishonorably discharged. When the appeal of their conviction was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, a new trial was ordered because of numerous problems with the first trial. Sheriff Willis V. McCall was forced to shoot both handcuffed men when they attacked him while transporting them back to Tavares, FL for a change-of-venue hearing. cite book|title=From Jim Crowe to Civil Rights: The Supreme Court and the Struggle for Racial Equality|author=Klarman, Michael J.|year=2006|publisher=Oxford University press|ISBN=0195129032]

Shepherd was killed, but Irvin survived and accused McCall of murder and attempted murder. McCall himself was hospitalized by the incident. A coroner's inquiry declared that McCall had acted properly. Investigations by the FBI and Justice Dept. also stated McCall acted properly.

After recovering from his wounds, Irvin was retried. Thurgood Marshall led the defence team, but Irvin was again found guilty and sentenced to death. Later in that same year, newly-elected Governor LeRoy Collins commuted Irvin's sentence to life in prison. Irvin was paroled in 1968. He died from heart complications while visiting Lake County in 1970.

Civil rights activist Harry T. Moore argued that the three surviving men had been savagely beaten by Sherrif's deputies before their first trial. Neither Irvin nor Greenlee ever accused McCall of beating them and defense lawyers never made charges for these accusations.In each trial, an all-white jury found the defendants guilty despite what their lawyers said were troubling inconsistencies with the evidence and procedures in the courtroom.Defense lawyers never charged McCall or his deputies with any violations.

External links

* [http://linux.library.appstate.edu/lumbee/4/PLAT001.htm The Allen Platt case:]
* [http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20030101/OCALACOMHISTORY/101010054/-1/community0104 Former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall argued two cases in Ocala with mention of Willis V. McCall]
* [http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/AAexhibit/florida.htm Selections from the P.K. Yonge Library of Florida History]
* [http://www.sptimes.com/News/112899/Floridian/A_Southern_sheriff_s_.shtml St.Petersburg Article: A Southern sheriff's law and disorder]
* [http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-07112004-234544/unrestricted/08_THobbs_Conclusion.pdf "Hitler is Here": Lynching in Florida During the Era of World War II]
* [http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/index.html PBS Documentry Freedom Never Dies]
* [http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/terror/1951.html Who Killed Harry T. Moore]
* [http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/terror/groveland.html Groveland]
* [http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/terror/lynching.html Lynchings]
* [http://www.pbs.org/harrymoore/terror/k.html KKK in Florida]
* [http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050612/NEWS01/506120330/1006/NEWS01 "Florida Today" article about Moore's killing]

References