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FL S0694
Bill
Status
Engrossed
2/19/2026
Primary Sponsor
Appropriations
Click for details
AI Summary
- Appropriates $4 million from the General Revenue Fund to compensate descendants of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas, known as the "Groveland Four"
- Divides compensation equally (25% each) among Carol Greenlee Crawlee, Gladys Rollerson, the Estate of Walter Irvin, and the Estate of Samuel Shepherd
- Addresses a 1949 case in Lake County where four Black men were wrongfully accused of rape, beaten into confessions, and convicted despite lack of physical evidence and established alibis
- Ernest Thomas was killed by a deputized posse (400+ gunshot wounds), Samuel Shepherd was shot and killed by the sheriff while handcuffed, and the survivors served years in prison before eventual parole
- Recipients of compensation are ineligible for any further claims related to this case; the four men received full pardons in 2019 and had their convictions set aside in 2021
Legislative Description
Compensation of the Descendants of Charles Greenlee, Walter Irvin, Samuel Shepherd, and Ernest Thomas
Last Action
In Messages
2/19/2026
Committee Referrals
Appropriations2/4/2026
Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development1/28/2026
Full Bill Text
No bill text available