A hearing is scheduled for today in the Central Park Jogger case. The five youths convicted of rape in the case are seeking to have their convictions overturned.

DA Morganthau's office is expected to ask for more time to investigate the claim of Matias Reyes who recently confessed to the crime and said he acted alone. DNA tests on the jogger's sock link to Reyes but no DNA or forensic evidence links to the five youths who allege their confessions were coerced.

How much more time does the DA need? At this point we think it can only be another delaying tactic. So do the fifty supporters of the five men who gathered last night in protest of the DA's request.

United States Representative Charles B. Rangel was one of those who attended last night. He "drew cheers when he described perceived abuses in law enforcement. "In this community," he said, "we're just as afraid of the police as we are of criminals on the street."

The Washington Post covers the case today as well, recapping the lack of trustworthy evidence and reporting recent statements of jurors:

"Police had interrogated the teenagers, keeping them in custody at a Central Park precinct for more than 20 hours before turning on the cameras for their confessions. The confession of one youth was written by a detective, in classic police jargon, and handed to him to sign. Aside from the videotapes, there was precious little forensic evidence. Neither blood nor semen matched that of the teenagers."

"Before the trial, the state court administrator departed from state policy of choosing judges by lottery and assigned a judge renowned for handing down tough sentences."

"The jury fought bitterly over the verdict in the first of two trials in 1990. One juror told the Daily News last week that he was no longer sure of their guilt.
The juror said his doubts began last winter when Reyes, a convicted rapist and murderer, stepped forward and said he committed the rape. "I was," Reyes said, "a monster." "A lot of us were bamboozled by the prosecution," said Bill Perkins, a city council member who lives at Schomburg Plaza and has fought to overturn the convictions. "There were dehumanizing descriptions and fraudulent confessions, and it made a community very cynical."

We won't be surprised if the DA gets his continuance, but we hope it's a short one. And check out Tom over at JustOneMinute who has been following the new developments in the case extensively.

Update: As expected, the hearing was continued and prosecutors were given until December 5 to finish their investigation.