New York, New York – Misdemeanor charges for falsely reporting an incident were dropped Tuesday against Amy Cooper — the so-called “Central Park Karen”. She faced up to a year in prison for accusing a birdwatcher, who was black, of threatening her according to the New York Post.
The judge granted a Manhattan prosecutors’ request to throw out Cooper’s case after she completed five therapy sessions “designed for introspection and progress.”
“They sent her to Critical Therapy Center … who provided psychoeducation and therapy services which focused on the ways in which Ms. Cooper could appreciate that racial identities shape our lives but we cannot use them to harm ourselves or others,” Illuzzi-Orbon told Manhattan Criminal Court Justice Anne Swern.
“Psychoeducation about racial equality is woven into each therapy session to prompt understanding and reflection.”
Cooper was charged after the incident in May was caught on camera. a black birdwatcher told Cooper to put her dog on a leash, and an ensuing altercation occurred.
Illuzzi-Orbon on Tuesday said the diversion program that she completed with Manhattan Justice Opportunities was a punishment that was “consistent” with other misdemeanor cases.
