Documentary-Maker Ken Burns Fights New York Subpoena

Lawyers want access to footage and notes connected to documentary about handling of 1989 rape case

Renowned US film-maker Ken Burns has refused to comply with a subpoena served on him by New York City in connection with his film The Central Park Five, about a notorious miscarriage of justice.

Lawyers for New York are demanding to examine footage and notes that Burns and his team compiled during the making of their film as the city seeks to defend the actions of its officials in the aftermath of the horrific rape in 1989 of a jogger in Central Park.

Five black teenagers were convicted in 1990 for the attack, but they were cleared in 2002 after convicted murderer Matias Reyes confessed to the crime. The five subsequently launched legal action against the city for malicious prosecution, but the city has refused so far to settle.