3/2/16 – WFTV
Barbara Petersen, President of the First Amendment Foundation and Gilbert King, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Devil in the Grove” talk with Central Florida Spotlight about the four black men charged with the rape of a teenage white girl 67 years ago. Much of Gilbert King’s book focuses on Lake County Sheriff Willis McCall, who was never charged with the setup or killings of two of the accused men, but FBI files indicated he should have been.
“This whole case starts as a ‘To Kill a Mocking Bird’-type story where you have a young white woman who makes these allegations that she’s been abducted and raped by four African-Americans,” King said.
King said he had access to every document, interview and piece of evidence in the case and all signs pointed to a setup by McCall, thanks in large part to Florida’s open government Sunshine Laws. These laws are under constant attack by the Florida legislature and Governor, and are fiercely defended by Petersen and the First Amendment Foundation. Ms. Petersen is one of the most prominent advocates for this issue and has been recognized nationally for her leadership.