The five men once wrongfully convicted in the infamous 1989 Central Park jogger case—Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise—have filed a defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump following comments he made during a presidential debate on September 10. The men, now known as the Exonerated Five, argue that Trump’s remarks were false, damaging, and intended to mislead the public.
Trump’s False Claims
During the debate in Pennsylvania, Trump made several misleading claims regarding the Central Park Five case. He stated that the five men had “pled guilty” and further alleged that they had “badly hurt” and “killed” the jogger in the April 19, 1989, attack, implying that their guilty plea was proof of their wrongdoing. However, Trump’s comments were factually incorrect on several key points. The five men never pled guilty; instead, they consistently maintained their innocence throughout their trials. Furthermore, the victim of the attack, a female jogger, survived and went on to recover.
The lawsuit highlights that Trump’s claims are “demonstrably false.” It emphasizes that the Exonerated Five were exonerated of all charges in 2002 after another man, Matias Reyes, confessed to the crime. DNA evidence linked Reyes to the attack, and his confession matched the details of the crime. The Exonerated Five were cleared of any involvement, and their convictions were vacated. Despite this, Trump has repeatedly voiced his skepticism of their innocence, including through a full-page ad in 1989 calling for their execution.
Ongoing Defamation and Damage
The complaint, filed by the Exonerated Five, argues that Trump’s comments during the debate have caused further harm to their reputations and well-being. The men, now in their 50s, have spent decades attempting to rebuild their lives after being wrongfully imprisoned. The lawsuit states that Trump’s remarks have inflicted fresh emotional and reputational damage, accusing him of continuing to publicly defame the men even after their exoneration.
The legal team representing the Exonerated Five has labeled Trump’s remarks as “reckless” and “defamatory,” arguing that they directly contradict established facts and the legal outcomes of the case. They also assert that Trump’s statements have contributed to the ongoing public misperception of their innocence.
Background of the Central Park Case
In 1989, the brutal attack on a female jogger in Central Park shocked the nation. Five Black and Latino teenagers were swiftly arrested and charged with the crime. The case garnered significant media attention, with much of the coverage focusing on the supposed guilt of the teenagers. After hours of interrogation, the boys gave coerced confessions, which were later used to convict them, despite a lack of physical evidence tying them to the scene. In 2002, their convictions were overturned after Reyes, a convicted serial rapist, confessed to being the sole perpetrator of the attack.
The lawsuit against Trump now seeks justice for the defamation they believe they’ve suffered due to his persistent public misstatements, which continue to cast a shadow on their exoneration.
Featured image: Donald Trump on the campaign trail in Las Vegas, Nevada June 18, 2016. REUTERS/David Becker/Files
