Central Park Five’s Legal Battle with Trump Gains Spotlight in Racial Justice Talks

Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by the Central Park Five has been rejected by a federal judge, allowing the case to proceed as the former president faces legal challenges stemming from comments made during a 2024 presidential debate.

Quick Takes

U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the defamation lawsuit, ruling his statements could be “objectively determined” to be false.
The lawsuit stems from Trump’s debate remarks claiming the exonerated men had “pled guilty” and “killed a person.”
The Central Park Five, now known as the “Exonerated Five,” were wrongfully convicted of a 1989 rape and exonerated in 2002.
Trump’s legal team argues the lawsuit represents an attack on free speech and should be dismissed under Pennsylvania’s anti-SLAPP law.

Judge Allows Case to Proceed

A federal judge has rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by members of the Central Park Five. U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled that the case can move forward, determining that Trump’s statements during a 2024 presidential debate with Kamala Harris could be “objectively determined” to be false. The lawsuit accuses Trump of making defamatory statements and portraying the men in a false light, causing ongoing harm to their reputations decades after their exoneration in a high-profile wrongful conviction case.

The legal action centers on statements Trump made during the debate when Harris referenced “a full-page ad in The New York Times calling for the execution of five young Black and Latino boys who were innocent, the Central Park Five.” In response, Trump claimed the men “admitted – they said, they pled guilty. And I said, well, if they plead guilty they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately.” These statements form the core of the defamation claim being pursued by the plaintiffs.

President Trump must face Central Park Five defamation suit, judge rules https://t.co/f3BiJTawpM

— The Hill (@thehill) April 10, 2025

The History Behind the Case

The Central Park Five, now referred to as the “Exonerated Five,” were wrongfully convicted of raping a female jogger in New York City’s Central Park in 1989. The case attracted national attention and inflamed racial tensions in the city. The five men – all teenagers at the time – were exonerated in 2002 when another man confessed to the crime, with DNA evidence confirming his guilt. The city later settled a lawsuit with the men for $41 million in 2014, compensating them for the years they spent in prison for crimes they did not commit.

Trump has a long history with this case. In 1989, he took out full-page advertisements in four New York newspapers advocating for the reinstatement of the death penalty in connection with the case. Despite their exoneration, Trump has repeatedly refused to acknowledge their innocence over the years. The current lawsuit specifically addresses his more recent statements that falsely claimed the men had pleaded guilty and that someone had died as a result of the attack – the victim of the assault survived.

Legal Arguments From Both Sides

Trump’s legal team has vigorously opposed the lawsuit, arguing it represents an attack on constitutionally protected free speech. His attorneys sought to have the case dismissed under Pennsylvania’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law, which is designed to protect individuals from lawsuits that aim to censor or intimidate critics by burdening them with legal costs. While Judge Beetlestone did dismiss some claims in the lawsuit, she allowed the core defamation allegations to proceed.

The Central Park Five, many of whom have gone on to pursue various civic and political roles, continue to deal with the impact of their wrongful convictions and the public statements made about them. Their lawsuit argues that Trump’s comments have caused renewed harm to their reputations and public standing. With the judge’s ruling allowing the case to proceed, both sides will now prepare for what could be a lengthy legal battle that revisits one of New York City’s most controversial criminal cases and its lasting effects on racial justice conversations in America.