I don’t think this was political. Both of the guys, who were teenagers at the time, ratted each other out. So it’s possible that they were just scared and blamed each other for that reason, since they were tried separately and one got a lighter sentence than the other (although they were in jail for the same length of time).
I would suspect, however, based on my knowledge of NYC at that time, that they were also too stoned to give a decent statement or even remember what they had actually been doing at the time. I think this is a problem that is only going to become worse.
These things are always political in the sense that prosecutors are either elected or beholden to politicians. Their job is to deliver convictions, not justice. The police operate by the same standard, judges as well. Their victims are usually societies losers, so everyone applauds putting the criminals behind bars.
What has changed, at least in my view, is that this attitude and behavior has moved beyond the poor wretches such as these and now targets anyone who disagrees with or threatens the political power machine. Both parties endorse what is going on.