New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a response Thursday opposing an effort to bar her from acting as special prosecutor in the Cornell University rape investigation over claims of political bias.James said in a court filing that the petition to remove her as special prosecutor relies on claims that “are not justiciable.”An attorney for Gillio Lopes, one of seven men sued over allegations that a woman was raped at a Cornell fraternity house, filed a petition this month arguing that James “unequivocally demonstrated a bias and presumption of guilt.”James wrote in the response that there is no standing, that even if there were the court should reject it and that the governor has the power to appoint a special prosecutor.“Petitioner asks this Court to impermissibly void a discretionary action by the Governor,” James wrote in the filing opposing the petition filed by Lopes’ attorney.Defendant in Cornell sexual assault case trying to get AG Letitia James removed as special prosecutor02:14New York Gov.Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, appointed James as special prosecutor in the investigation of the Cornell case on Oct.
1.Hochul cited concerns about how university police and the local district attorney’s office handled the woman’s allegations of sexual assault in 2024.The woman alleged in a lawsuit that she was raped and plied with drugs at the fraternity house in 2024.The allegations have caused outrage, including fury about messages in a group chat about her on the night she alleges she was assaulted.No criminal charges have been filed.
The lawsuit identifies the woman as Jane Doe.Attorneys for another former fraternity member named in the suit, Winston Lee, also filed a motion this month seeking to disqualify James from any future grand jury proceedings.That matter is pending.For SubscribersFOR SUBSCRIBERSNew AI tool for voters offers a specialized chatbot to explain your ballotFOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP retreats from North Carolina as Trump admits Democr...