On Tuesday, felony charges were dismissed against Amy Cooper, the so-called “Central Park Karen” who falsely accused a black birdwatcher of “threatening” her.
She had served up to a year in prison on a single charge for falsely reporting a third-degree incident.
A judge has granted Manhattan prosecutors’ request to throw out Cooper’s case after she completed five therapy sessions “intended for introspection and advancement,” Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon said during a brief virtual hearing.
They sent her to Critical Therapy Center … which provided psychoeducation and therapy services focused on the ways 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 Anne Swern. “Psychoeducation on racial equality is woven into every therapy session to encourage understanding and reflection.”
Asked to be heard, Cooper, dressed in a black turtleneck, said to the judge, “No, Your Honor.” Her attorney also declined to speak, saying he agreed with the prosecution’s assessment.
Swern subsequently dismissed and sealed her case.
Cooper was indicted for the on-camera incident in May, which revealed that she called 911 for black bird watcher Christian Cooper after asking her to put her dog on a leash.
In the hysterical phone call, she falsely claimed to the police that Christian “threatened my life.”
Illuzzi-Orbon said on Tuesday that the diversion program she completed with Manhattan Justice Opportunities was a sentence that was “consistent” with other felony cases.
“Mrs. Cooper’s therapist said it was a moving experience and Mrs. Cooper learned a lot during their sessions together,” the prosecutor said at the hearing.
Christian Cooper declined to cooperate in the prosecution, saying that “she has already paid a heavy price” after worldwide outrage over the incident.