ORLANDO, Fla. — Lawmakers in Florida have approved a measure to provide compensation for the descendants of the Groveland Four.
The Groveland Four were four Black men, Samuel Shepherd, Walter Irvin, Charles Greenlee, and Ernest Thomas, who were falsely accused in a 1949 rape case in Lake County.
All four men were later posthumously pardoned by the State of Florida in 2019 after decades of legal challenges and calls for justice.
Under the legislation, a total of $4 million would be set aside and divided equally among their surviving families and estates. Each family would receive a portion of the state funds as a form of financial recognition tied to the case.
The proposal is part of CS/CS/SB 694, which would take effect if signed into law by the governor as part of the state budget process.
CS/CS/SB 694: Compensation of the Descendants of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernes... by bnro1998
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