Convictions quashed in Central Park jogger rape

A JUDGE dismissed the convictions yesterday of all five men who served years in prison for the 1989 rape and beating of a jogger in Central Park, a crime that exposed the city’s racial tensions and made national headlines.

The courtroom, filled with the family and friends of the defendants, burst into cheers and applause as state Justice Charles Tejada announced his ruling.

"Justice was done," said City Councilman Bill Perkins, a supporter of the five. "Unfortunately, it took 13 years of tribulations for the Central Park Five, not to mention the years of suffering for their families."