Central Park Jogger Case Analysis

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The Central Park jogger case went through a multitude of developments, and is reflected by the ever-changing mentality of both the people close to the case and the public at large. After the initial attack on the jogger in 1989, all eyes were on the boys, whose actions in the park and confessions in the precinct incriminated them beyond further doubt. In the eyes of the public, the wild behavior of juveniles in New York is what triggered this kind of attack, and putting these boys away is the first step towards recovery. Then the confession of a single lone man—Matias Reyes—changed the perspective of the boys’ guilt. Talks of coerced confessions and exonerations sparked within the public, and many were not convinced. After nearly 24 years …show more content…

For years, the Central Park jogger case was old news, an open and shut case where justice has been served and the criminals behind bars suffering the consequences. Police insist that the Central Park Five are still guilty, and that the “’most likely scenario’ was that the youths and Mr. Reyes had attacked the jogger, either simultaneously or consecutively” (McFadden). The confessions, though now under review as being coerced, still remain as key evidence that the boys had a hand in the assault. They believed that the confession of Reyes guarantees a link of him participating in the assault, but does not necessarily exempt the Central Park Five. Also, the “wilding” done that night still remains as strong evidence to the possibility of the boys assaulting the Central Park Jogger. Their behavior is backed with witness claims, and cannot be forgotten as part of the events that unfolded that night, Though, the lawyers of the defense view Reyes confession as undeniable evidence that the Central Park Five are innocent, as “the police have strained mightily but vainly to avoid the overwhelming proof that Matias Reyes was the only person who attacked and raped the Central Park jogger” (McQuillan). Since the violent crime in Central Park, Reyes continued to attack innocent women, and every time he was alone. …show more content…

Now, most recognize and accept the innocence of the boys, with the media’s new portrayal of the five. In 2011, a novel reviewed the entire case, and was followed by a 2012 documentary, aptly named The Central Park Five, shedding a new light upon the case for the public. Viewing the evidence from a more objective standpoint, along with commentary from the five themselves and key individuals during that era, these accounts reveal how the five were declared guilty with such confidence. But, the individual can now understand a possible explanation for why the confessions were given, citing that “the Central Park defendants each cited the simple desire to go home as a motivating factor in his confession” (Burns 61). If the confessions were considered coerced in the trial, it would’ve been thrown out of the courtroom as evidence, and the prosecutors won’t have enough evidence to go after the five. Only this many years later, people have begun to understand how it was like for the five in the precincts, causing them to give out such graphic confessions. When Reyes stepped forward, there were still many skeptics that believed the boys had a hand in the assault. Though, viewing Reyes’ past crimes and his statement “were details that even the most assiduous student of the case would have had a hard time

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