1. Netflix Central Park Five prosecutor defamation lawsuit settlement
2. Central Park Five prosecutor defamation lawsuit resolution Netflix.
Accident – Death – Obituary News :
By Luc Cohen
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Netflix has reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit brought by best-selling author and former Manhattan sex crimes prosecutor Linda Fairstein regarding her portrayal in the 2019 crime series “When They See Us” based on the Central Park Five case.
Tuesday’s settlement has prevented a trial that was scheduled to commence on June 10 in Manhattan federal court, where Fairstein was set to challenge her depiction in the series.
As part of the settlement, Fairstein will not receive any monetary compensation. However, Netflix has agreed to donate $1 million to the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted individuals.
“When They See Us,” directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Attica Locke, portrayed the story of five Black and Hispanic teenagers who were wrongly convicted and imprisoned for five to 13 years in relation to the 1989 Central Park rape case. The actual perpetrator confessed to the crime in 2002.
At the time of the incident, Fairstein, now 77, headed the sex crimes unit at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. She alleged that the series contained defamatory scenes implying that she had suppressed evidence, coerced confessions, and orchestrated a mass police crackdown on young Black men.
Following the release of the series, Fairstein faced severe backlash, leading to the loss of her publishing contract and resignation from multiple boards.
In a statement, Fairstein expressed satisfaction with the donation to the Innocence Project, emphasizing that financial compensation for herself was not a priority.
Netflix has agreed to move a disclaimer stating that certain characters and events have been altered for dramatic purposes to the beginning of episodes rather than the closing credits.
“The main objective was to correct the historical record and dispel the villainous portrayal of me created by the defendants and depicted on screen,” Fairstein stated.
Confirmation of the settlement was provided by Netflix in a joint statement with DuVernay and Locke, who were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Last year, U.S. District Judge Kevin Castel permitted the lawsuit to proceed, noting evidence that Netflix, DuVernay, and Locke had manipulated plot points to present Fairstein as a villain symbolizing broader issues within the criminal justice system.
The defendants had argued that their portrayal of Fairstein was protected by the First Amendment, and Fairstein’s legal action posed a threat to filmmakers’ ability to dramatize contentious real-life events.
(Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Daniel Wallis)
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Netflix Central Park Five settle defamation lawsuit, Central Park Five prosecutor settle lawsuit.
