Embedded Files
The three paintings in this series are focused on the Unjust Conviction of Steven Smith, which took place in Licking County, Ohio, in 2016. The artist and many supporters believe that Smith was falsely accused of drug possession and denied due process.
For more than six years, Steven and David Greene worked closely on important community issues in Newark, Ohio, including housing and tenant rights, safe drinking water, and racial equality.
Smith’s indictment and conviction were a response to his activity in support of justice for poor and working people.
Portrait of Steven Smith (July 2018)
Acrylic on Canvas
18” x 24”
This painting of Steven Smith was the first portrait by David Greene. It shows Smith as he appeared on the last day of his trial during a period of recess. In addition to serving as a Board Member of The Freedom School in Licking County, Smith was owner of the restaurant Big Momma’s House of Chicken and Fish, a promoter of annual celebrations of Juneteenth, and an active advocate for tenants and against slumlords in Licking County, Ohio.
Supporters (March 2019)
Acrylic on Canvas
18” x 24”
This painting depicts some of the many supporters who attended the three-day trial. They heard the prosecuting attorney present a case based on circumstantial evidence. Many of these supporters were also members of the Board of the Freedom School in Licking County, founded by David and Janet Greene in 2012. The school helped educate the community about important issues. Steve was a member of the Board of the Freedom School at the time of his conviction.
A Jury of His Peers? (March 2019)
Acrylic on Canvas
18” x 24”
The jury chosen for Smith’s trial included no African American people. After hearing arguments in a trial that lasted for three days, the jury reached a verdict of guilty in three hours. During the trial, they were presented with a barrage of testimony by police and drug enforcement officers and a prosecution which built its case around innuendo and circumstantial evidence. Smith was given a mandatory minimum sentence of 11 years of imprisonment in the Ohio Department of Corrections. He will be released in February of 2027.
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