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Central Park Five To Sue State For $52 Million In Damages
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 7, 2014
Modified Dec 7, 2014
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Central Park Five Facebook
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 7, 2014
Modified Dec 7, 2014
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After receiving a $42 million settlement from the city on their claim that their civil rights were violated, the five men who were wrongfully jailed for the 1989 rape of a Central Park jogger are now pursuing their claim against the state. According to the Daily News, the Central Park Five are asking for $52 million in damages for the emotional trauma of being incarcerated for years for a crime they were coerced into confessing to.
“When you have a person who has been exonerated of a crime, the city provides no services to transition him back to society,” Raymond Santana told the paper. Santana spent nearly six years in prison, and received a little over $7 million as a result of the city settling his federal suit in September. “The only thing left is something like this—so you can receive some type of money so you can survive.”
A spokesman for the state attorney general indicated that his office was willing to settle their case: “Attorney General Schneiderman is committed to protecting the rights of the wrongfully convicted, and to helping individuals obtain justice and put their lives back together again. We expect to meet with attorneys for the five men, and look forward to discussing a potential settlement to resolve their claims.”
Judges usually allot between $150,000 and $200,000 for each year of wrongful imprisonment in these cases, but given the city's recent settlement, coming after nine years of litigation from the Bloomberg administration, the final figures will likely be lower.
Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana and Yusef Salaam served roughly six years in prison, while Korey Wise served almost 13 years. All were between 14 and 16 years old when they were convicted.
A lawsuit to publicly release 200,000 pages of documents and more than 95 depositions has to be finished before the suit against the state can begin in earnest.
Tagged
central park five
robert morgenthau
wrongful imprisonment
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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