In 1989 the case of the Central Park Five was spread across the front pages of newspapers all over the U S. The story depended on stereotypes and fanned the fires of race conflict with reports of black male teens gone wild. There have been other documentaries that covered the case, but the latest version has the benefit of information and support that wasn’t available before. According to the director, the preliminary name of this film had to do with Central Park Five. As the film was completed, she rejected any name that included that label. As she points out, none of the accused ever used that name to refer to themselves. It was a made-up name that attracted undue attention and distorted their stories. Throughout the film, viewers are reminded that because of the label, the five adolescents were hated by their communities, the general public, and even their families. Because of the label they were victims of abuse, humiliation, deprivation and loss of their human rights. The movie shows how a crime can be recreated after it happens as the prosecution’s case is developed.
Answer the following 4 questions to demonstrate your study of the controversy regarding the case of the Central Park 5. Be sure to use complete sentences for your answers.
1. How did the case change from family court to a criminal case and the boys change from witnesses to suspects?
2. How did the police coerce the boys to lie about the rape?
3. What was the reason the prosecution wanted to divide them into two separate cases?
4. Before their exoneration in 2002, what was the reason the boys weren’t granted a plea bargain, parole, probation or unconditional release?