President-elect Donald Trump has formally requested that a federal judge dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by five men, known as the Central Park Five, who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned in connection with the 1989 assault of a white jogger in New York’s Central Park. The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s public statements during his 2016 presidential campaign defamed the men and caused significant emotional distress.
In a legal filing on Wednesday, Trump’s attorneys argued that his statements—made during a presidential debate in September 2020—were protected under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Trump’s legal team emphasized that the remarks about the Central Park Five were simply expressions of opinion concerning matters of public interest.
The Central Park Five—Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise—were exonerated in 2002 after new DNA evidence and the confession of another individual proved their innocence. Despite their exoneration, Trump’s controversial statements during the campaign, in which he falsely claimed that the men had killed someone and had confessed to the crime, continue to haunt the men.
Trump’s legal representatives contend that the lawsuit should be dismissed, asserting that the former reality TV star’s comments fall within his constitutional rights to speak on matters of public concern. “The First Amendment protects the President-elect’s speech, particularly regarding topics of public importance,” the filing read.
However, the attorneys for the Central Park Five, led by prominent civil rights lawyer Shanin Specter, have vowed to continue their legal battle. Specter stated, “We look forward to moving forward with discovery and trial. The facts are on our side.” The lawsuit claims that Trump’s “demonstrably false” statements harmed the men’s reputations, placed them in a false light, and caused significant emotional distress.
The Central Park Five were all minors at the time of their wrongful conviction. They were coerced into giving false confessions—confessions they later recanted. They were never found guilty of the crime, and their convictions were vacated after their exoneration.
Trump’s controversial statements regarding the case are not new. Following the assault in 1989, Trump took out full-page ads in several New York newspapers calling for the reinstatement of the death penalty, and he publicly criticized the men despite their eventual exoneration.
As the legal proceedings unfold, many are watching closely for how the court will address the complex intersection of free speech and defamation in this high-profile case. Trump’s legal team has yet to comment publicly on the ongoing lawsuit.
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