Remembering Leonard Cure: A Conversation on Justice, Accountability, and the Fight Ahead

Two years ago, on October 16, 2023, the world lost Leonard Cure, a man who survived 16 years of wrongful imprisonment only to be killed by law enforcement during a routine traffic stop in Georgia. On this solemn anniversary, Attorney Ben Crump joined Seth Miller, Executive Director of the Innocence Project of Florida, for a robust conversation on Leonard’s life, legacy, and the unfinished work of justice.

“Without the Innocence Project, the world would have written him off.”

Attorney Crump began by honoring the Innocence Project of Florida for our work exonerating Leonard:

“Without the Innocence Project and his mother’s conviction, the world would have written Leonard down as a hardened criminal, not worthy of the benefit of the doubt, not worthy of humanity. Because of you, his mother got to prove to the world that her baby boy was innocent.”

Leonard Cure’s story is one of profound injustice and remarkable perseverance. Convicted in Broward County in 2003 for a robbery he did not commit, Leonard spent 16 years behind bars before the Innocence Project of Florida and the Broward County State Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit reinvestigated his case. Evidence, including an ATM receipt placing him miles from the crime, proved his innocence. Leonard walked free in April 2020, and his conviction was vacated later that year.

Seth Miller and Ben Crump during their live discussion on October 16, 2025

“He finally had his life back.”

In April 2023, Leonard received compensation from the State of Florida for his wrongful incarceration. Just four months later, he was killed during a traffic stop on I-95.b“I was shocked,” Crump recalled. “He had finally gotten his life back. We had celebrated his freedom, and then, to lose him like that…”

The tragedy spurred Crump to take on Leonard’s case, determined to secure accountability and justice for Leonard’s family.

Seeking Justice and Accountability

“When we watched the dash cam footage, we knew this was not a routine stop,” said Miller. “The officer came out yelling, pointing a Taser, no de-escalation, no attempt to explain. Leonard asked for a speeding ticket, not another cage.”

Crump added:

“It was a speeding ticket. For God’s sake, a speeding ticket. But for Leonard, who had already endured 16 years of wrongful imprisonment, being told ‘you’re going to jail’ must have been terrifying. He said, ‘I’m not going back.’ And for that, he was tased and shot three times.”

The officer, Deputy Buck Aldridge, has since been charged federally for a pattern of violating citizens’ civil rights. Crump’s team has filed a $16 million lawsuit, one million for each year Leonard lost to wrongful imprisonment.

“He was twice betrayed by the system, wrongfully convicted, then executed on the side of the road,” said Crump. “We filed this lawsuit so that his mother can see some measure of justice.”

The Larger Fight for Change

Both Crump and Miller reflected on the broader crisis of accountability in America’s criminal legal system and the resilience required to keep fighting. “Every time we make progress, there’s a reaction trying to pull us back,” Crump said. “But as Frederick Douglass taught us, without struggle, there can be no progress. Our children are worth the fight.”

Seth closed the conversation with a call to action:

“Complacency is the enemy of justice. If Leonard’s family can keep fighting through their grief, then we can too. The fight must go on.”

Carrying Leonard’s Legacy Forward

Leonard Cure’s life was stolen twice, once by wrongful conviction and again by unjust violence. Yet his story continues to illuminate the deep flaws in our system and the power of perseverance, community, and truth.

As Attorney Crump said:

“We need hope, and the Innocence Projects across this country give people that hope.”

Today, injustices are taking root in too many places, but we cannot surrender to hopelessness. We need community advocates getting organized, showing up, and doing what’s within their capacity to make a difference: volunteer with local justice organizations, support families in court, call your lawmakers, share resources, and stand up for your neighbors. Progress is built by people who refuse to look away; hope is a discipline, and justice is our shared work.