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Judge Rules Trump Must Face Central Park Five Defamation Lawsuit

A federal judge determined that Trump's statements during a 2024 presidential debate were objectively false and not protected as opinions, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 8, 2025. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 22: (L-R) Antron Mccray, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, and Korey Wise, collectively known as the "Central Park Five", attend the BETX Celebrity Basketball Game Sponsored By Sprite during the BET Experience at Los Angeles Convention Center on June 22, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Wendy Beetlestone ruled that Donald Trump must face a defamation lawsuit filed by the Central Park Five, denying his motion to dismiss the case.
  • The lawsuit stems from Trump's false claims during a 2024 presidential debate, where he stated the exonerated men had pleaded guilty and killed someone.
  • Judge Beetlestone found that Trump's statements were factual assertions that can be objectively proven false, rather than protected opinions under the First Amendment.
  • The Central Park Five—Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown, and Korey Wise—are seeking unspecified damages for reputational and emotional harm.
  • This legal development revisits a decades-long controversy surrounding the wrongful convictions and exonerations of the five men, as well as Trump's historical comments on the case.