The Central Park Five, now known as the Exonerated Five, have filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for defamation in connection with comments made during a presidential debate. Trump falsely claimed that the men pleaded guilty to the assault and rape of a woman in Central Park in 1989, when in reality, they pleaded not guilty and the victim survived. The five men were exonerated in 2002 after DNA evidence linked another man to the attack. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the men are seeking damages to be determined at trial. The case highlights the racial tensions and crime hysteria of the time, with Trump himself calling for the death penalty for the men in newspaper ads. The city eventually paid the men $41 million in a legal settlement. This is a developing story and updates will be provided as it progresses.
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Central Park Five exonerated individuals sue Trump for defamation following comments made during debate
