[Johnny Wadd]

Five men wrongfully convicted in the brutal 1989 rape of a jogger in New York's Central Park have settled a lawsuit against the city for $40m (£24m).

The racially charged case shocked the city during some of its bleakest years.

The sum must still be approved by the city's comptroller and a federal judge.

The men, teenagers when the crime was committed, served 7-13 years in prison before their exoneration in 2002 when evidence pointed to another man.

Fears of 'wilding'
The victim, a white 28-year-old investment banker, was severely beaten, raped and left for dead in a bush. She had no memory of the attack.

Local youths Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray and Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise, then aged 14-16, were arrested and interrogated for hours without access to lawyers or their parents.

They made confessions, and although they soon recanted and other evidence indicated they had been elsewhere when the woman was attacked, they were convicted and sentenced to years in prison.

The crime, occurring well before New York's current renaissance began in the mid-1990s, shocked the city and provoked fears of gangs of black teenagers going on crime rampages - "wilding", the media called it.

In 2002, an investigation by the Manhattan prosecutor determined a serial violent offender named Matias Reyes had confessed to the attack and said he acted alone.

In their legal action, the men accused New York prosecutors and police of false arrest, malicious prosecution and a racially motivated conspiracy to deprive the men of their civil rights.

The proposed settlement, which has not been officially announced by the city but was reported widely by local newspapers on Thursday and Friday, would amount to about $1m (£588,000) per year in prison for the men.

[Kelseecat65]

I watched a documentary on this and I will never understand why they confessed to something they did not do. Even if they went Jack Baur on me, I would never confess to something I did not do.

[Johnny Wadd]

Originally Posted by Kelseecat65 ↗

I watched a documentary on this and I will never understand why they confessed to something they did not do. Even if they went Jack Baur on me, I would never confess to something I did not do.

Saw the same doc,must admit they'd have to beat it out of me,they seemed to think that by confessing they could be released and then "sort this mess out later".

Glad that they will get a decent amount of compo

[Nite]

Excellent. If anyone thinks that Donald Trump isn't a complete cunt watch Ken Burn's documentary about this case.
What a slimy maggot

[Johnny Wadd]

Donald Trump: Central Park Five settlement is a 'disgrace':

My opinion on the settlement of the Central Park Jogger case is that it’s a disgrace. A detective close to the case, and who has followed it since 1989, calls it “the heist of the century.”

Settling doesn’t mean innocence, but it indicates incompetence on several levels. This case has not been dormant, and many people have asked why it took so long to settle? It is politics at its lowest and worst form.

What about the other people who were brutalized that night, in addition to the jogger?

One thing we know is that the amount of time, energy and money that has been spent on this case is unacceptable. The justice system has a lot to answer for, as does the City of New York regarding this very mishandled disaster. Information was being leaked to newspapers by someone on the case from the beginning, and the blunders were frequent and obvious.

As a long-time resident of New York City, I think it is ridiculous for this case to be settled — and I hope that has not yet taken place.

Forty million dollars is a lot of money for the taxpayers of New York to pay when we are already the highest taxed city and state in the country. The recipients must be laughing out loud at the stupidity of the city.

Speak to the detectives on the case and try listening to the facts. These young men do not exactly have the pasts of angels.

What about all the people who were so desperately hurt and affected? I hope it’s not too late to continue to fight and that this unfortunate event will not have a repeat episode any time soon — or ever.

As citizens and taxpayers, we deserve better than this.

And you are correct Nite,he is a PROPER cunt

[OhJstFkOffAlrdy]

Donald Trump needs to take a flying leap off of the roof of his tallest real estate. Whether or not these 5 guys were guilty of other crimes is irrelevant given the fact that they were charged with and wrongfully convicted of a crime that they did not commit. The justice system can't just shrug and say, "Well, they're guilty of something, so let's just keep 'em locked up regardless of miscarriages of proper police procedure and the system's failure to preserve their basic individual rights."

Oh, whitey, will you ever learn?

[kellyhound]

They made confessions, and although they soon recanted and other evidence indicated they had been elsewhere when the woman was attacked, they were convicted and sentenced to years in prison.

huge fuck up and now the pax tayer has to pay for it after these idiot judges and police investigators failed doing a thorough job.

[Megamel29]

Donald Trump. How many times has he filed for bankruptcy? He's a snob and an idiot. You can't just put people in prison because they maybe/probably committed another crime.

[invertigo]

Anybody thinking they'd never give a false confession under any circumstances, is greatly underestimating the psychological effect a skilled interrogator has- especially on kids that age. It was probably a scare tactic of some sort- like the threat of a much harsher punishment if they didn't confess.
Those 5 should never have been denied access to a lawyer.

[Shakey]

Originally Posted by invertigo ↗

Anybody thinking they'd never give a false confession under any circumstances, is greatly underestimating the psychological effect a skilled interrogator has- especially on kids that age. It was probably a scare tactic of some sort- like the threat of a much harsher punishment if they didn't confess.
Those 5 should never have been denied access to a lawyer.

I would NEVER confess. Even if I was guilty like OJ. Deny, deny, deny.