Former Florida Death Row Inmate Crosley Green Asks Orlando Federal Court to Overturn His Conviction: Crowell & Moring Files Habeas Corpus

Washington, D.C. – February 28, 2014: Crowell & Moring LLP has petitioned a federal court in Orlando, Fla., to overturn the conviction of former death row inmate Crosley Green. The filing for writ of habeas corpus asserts that no direct evidence ties Green to the 1989 murder of Charles "Chip" Flynn, Jr., and that newly discovered evidence demonstrates Green was wrongfully convicted.

“This is a case about innocence. Crosley Green has spent 24 years of his life in prison based on a wrongful conviction and a trial that violated several of his Constitutional rights," said Crowell & Moring partner Keith J. Harrison, lead attorney for Green.

The filing points to several key factors that demonstrate Green was wrongfully convicted, including ten alibi witnesses who place Green miles away from the murder, and the similarities between Green's case and the cases of three other men convicted in criminal trials in Brevard County, all of whom have been exonerated after years of incarceration. The brief also points to exculpatory evidence withheld by the prosecution and the recantations of four of the prosecution’s star witnesses.

The ABA Death Penalty Project referred Green's case to Crowell & Moring. In 2008, Crowell & Moring successfully argued before the Florida Supreme Court that Green should be removed from death row.

Having exhausted state appeals, Crowell & Moring lawyers have petitioned the Orlando Division of the Middle District of Florida for a writ of habeas corpus, which would either secure Green's release from prison and entitle him to a new trial or provide for an evidentiary hearing, which would allow the team to present new evidence discovered since the time of Green's trial to the court.

• Petition [PDF]
• Memo in Support of Petition [PDF]

Crowell & Moring LLP is an international law firm with approximately 500 lawyers representing clients in litigation and arbitration, regulatory, and transactional matters. The firm is internationally recognized for its representation of Fortune 500 companies in high-stakes litigation, as well as its ongoing commitment to pro bono service and diversity. The firm has offices in Washington, DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Anchorage, London, and Brussels.