Central Park Jogger Accused Still Pushing For $250M

On Tuesday's 22nd anniversary of the notorious Central Park Jogger attack, the five men convicted of raping and beating Trisha Meili, only to be freed thanks to DNA evidence, spoke out, urging New York City to come to terms on a $250 million lawsuit they filed against the city. The five young men were convicted for the 1989 attack a year later, with four of them confessing to the crime and ratting on the others due, ultimately, to police tactics. In 2002, Matias Reyes confessed to the crime, a claim corroborated by DNA evidence, but the city maintains that the men might not be innocent and were likely accomplices to the crime. "The charges against the plaintiffs and other youths were based on abundant probable cause, including confessions that withstood intense scrutiny, in full and fair pretrial hearings and at two lengthy public trials," according to the city's representation. She added, "The city is proceeding with a vigorous defense of the detectives and prosecutors, and the hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars that each of the five plaintiffs and their family members are seeking." [DNAinfo]