June 6th 2024.
When filmmaker Ava DuVernay decided to depict the Central Park Five case in her Emmy-winning Netflix series "When They See Us," she never imagined that it would result in a defamation lawsuit from former prosecutor Linda Fairstein. Fairstein, who had initially expressed her disapproval of DuVernay's project, had pulled out of the scheduled trial and walked away with no financial settlement. This prompted DuVernay to share her true thoughts on Fairstein in a lengthy statement on social media.
DuVernay revealed that Fairstein had demanded a cash payment and a disclaimer at the beginning of the series, stating that all scenes depicting her were "fabricated." She also wanted a gag order to prevent DuVernay and co-writer Attica Locke from publicly discussing her. However, both DuVernay and Netflix refused to make these changes, leading to the collapse of the trial. Instead, a deal was reached for Netflix to donate $1 million to the Innocence Project.
In response to Fairstein's claims, DuVernay stated that she believes Fairstein was responsible for the wrongful conviction of the five innocent Black and Brown boys in the Central Park Jogger case. She highlighted details of the case, including the 35 hours of interrogation overseen by Fairstein, where the boys were treated as adults without their parents present. DuVernay also mentioned the disappointment expressed by Fairstein's former boss, NY District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, in her handling of the case.
Despite DNA evidence exonerating the boys and matching a convicted serial rapist who admitted his guilt, Fairstein continues to maintain their guilt. This, coupled with her refusal to face a jury of her peers, has led DuVernay to believe that Fairstein was afraid to confront the truth.
The Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five, were wrongfully convicted of the near-fatal 1989 rape of a white woman. Twelve years later, serial rapist and murderer Matias Reyes confessed to the crime, and DNA testing confirmed his guilt. The story of the Exonerated Five can be seen in DuVernay's acclaimed miniseries "When They See Us."
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