Central Park jogger case: Ken Burns documentary may increase pressure to settle
New York is a safer, less fearful place than it was in 1990, when murders hit an all-time high, race relations were raw and the city felt under siege from drug dealers and gangs on "wilding" sprees. But one major piece of unfinished business from back then still hangs over the city and its legal system: the Central Park jogger case.
Five black and Hispanic boys were convicted that year in the rape and grisly beating of a white woman jogging in the park, and they went on to serve six to 13 years in prison before their convictions were thrown out in 2002 because of evidence linking someone else to the crime.
They sued police and prosecutors for $250 million. But the lawsuit has languished for a decade with no resolution in sight.
MORE: NYC's most infamous crimes | 'Central Park 5' calling for justice 22 years later | 'Central Park Five': Crime and punishment
Now, a growing chorus of lawmakers is asking New York City to settle with the five men. And the pressure is likely to build in the coming weeks with the broadcast of a documentary on the case by filmmaker Ken Burns. It airs on PBS on April 16.
http://newyork.newsday.com/news/new-york/central-park-jogger-case-ken-burns-documentary-may-increase-pressure-to-settle-1.5020035
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