Orlando Federal Court Gives Crosley Green 30 Days to Argue for Continued Release

Wrongfully Convicted Titusville, Fla. Man Continues to Fight for Freedom after U.S. Supreme Court Loss

Washington, D.C. – March 2, 2023: After the U.S. Supreme Court announced on February 27 that it would not consider his case, Crosley Green now has 30 days to brief an Orlando federal court as to why he should remain free. On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Roy B. Dalton ordered Green and the State of Florida to file briefs by March 31 addressing whether Green’s release should be modified or rescinded. The order comes just days after the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will not hear Green’s case—effectively denying him the right to a new trial in which to prove his innocence.

Lawyers for Green were pleased to learn the news as they continue urgent efforts to fight for Green’s freedom in the wake of the Supreme Court decision.

“Mr. Green has been thriving since his conditional release in 2021. He has a family who loves him, has become very integrated in his church, and is very successful in his full-time employment. Every day that Mr. Green is free is a day that he can spend with his family, and it is another day we can continue the fight to keep his freedom. Ultimately, we are hoping that the State of Florida will agree that no one is served by returning Mr. Green to prison,” said Keith J. Harrison, Crowell & Moring partner and counsel to Green.

Green served 32 years in prison and has been on conditional release since April 2021 after his conviction was overturned by a federal court in Orlando. The court found that Brevard County prosecutors withheld witness interview notes that said the first two responding law enforcement officers told the prosecutor that they concluded the victim’s ex-girlfriend—not Green—committed the crime. No evidence ties Green to the crime scene. The State of Florida appealed his victory, and Green lost at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and recently petitioned the Supreme Court to reverse that decision. On Monday, the Supreme Court announced it would not hear his case. Green has consistently maintained his innocence. Crowell has represented Green pro bono since 2008.

Read more about Green’s fight for freedom and his petition to the Supreme Court here.