Accused Cornell Case Defendant Seeks Letitia James's Removal as Prosecutor in Article 78 Challenge
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 8
Accused Cornell Case Defendant Seeks Letitia James's Removal as Prosecutor in Article 78 Challenge
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Oct 8
Summary
An accused man in the Cornell sexual assault case filed an Article 78 petition in Albany seeking to disqualify New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor.
The filing argues James's Sept. 28 post backing the accuser and "all survivors" shows a substantial risk of prejudice and undermines her independence before any charges have been filed.
James was appointed last week by Governor Kathy Hochul after she said she no longer trusted Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten to oversee the reopened criminal investigation fairly.
James's office says it remains committed to a thorough, independent inquiry guided by facts and law, while Hochul has said she has full confidence in James.
The case stems from a civil suit alleging a woman was drugged, intoxicated and assaulted for about seven hours at Cornell's Chi Phi house on Oct. 19, 2024, reviving national scrutiny of campus sexual assault responses.