Central Park Jogger Case Analysis

Black people have long been the victims of police brutality and racial profiling in the United States criminal justice system. On the streets, a majority of people, especially white people, still do not feel at ease when they see tall black men at night. In our society, these black men are more likely to get killed by a police officer than other Americans. A single bullet fired can not only end a life, but also trigger riots and racial tensions in the country. For instance, Trayvon Martin was murdered for looking “suspicious” after purchasing candy and soda from a grocery store back in 2012. A policeman and Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmer, was not held accountable for the crime he committed, which led to the creations of national political …show more content…
For instance, the Central Park Jogger Case was one of the cases that exemplified the police brutality on the innocent black teens who were jailed despite unlinking evidence. In 1989, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, and Yusef Salaam confessed to Trisha Meili’s rape and beating after hours of forceful interrogation by homicide detectives. The five served between 6 and 13 years for their complete sentences, before serial rapist Matias Reyes, admitted his crime, and DNA testing supported his confession. "To the extent that the evidence suggests that these five young men were wrongfully convicted and sentenced to substantial prison terms for a crime they did not commit, that in and of itself constitutes an injustice in need of redress" (Sanchez, 2014) – these innocent men lost their youth with their family and friends for a crime they did not commit. Instead, they have been through years of pain behind the bars because the police could not handle their evidence accurately. They were trying to find a way to link the evidence to the innocent citizens despite the unmatched semen DNA. For the most part, the case resulted in five African American teens locked away because of the police did not try to protect them from being acquitted. However, if it were to be a white person, he or she would have gotten more protection. Whites are accepted as the more innocent ones compared to the black and have most of the power. “While they were bombarded with fines and tickets, white figures – including the municipal judge, court clerk and senior police officers – were found assisting friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and themselves in eliminating citations, fines, and fees.” (Swaine, 2015) –While black people are 68% less likely than others to have their cases dismissed, white people are more