Judge considers petition to remove Letitia James from Cornell sexual assault investigation

A state judge in New York is considering whether to remove Letitia James, the state's attorney general, from her role as special prosecutor in a criminal investigation into alleged gang rape at Cornell University. This follows challenges filed by lawyers for Gillio Lopes and another defendant accused of sexual assault; they argue that James' prior social media support for the accuser shows bias. On September 28, before being appointed to the case, James posted on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook: "What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable." The investigation was reactivated after a former Cornell student filed a lawsuit in October 2024 alleging she was drugged and raped by seven men at a fraternity party. Despite arguments from the defense that James should be removed due to bias, her office maintains the challenge is "procedurally defective and substantively meritless." No immediate decision was made during Thursday's hearing; the judge is expected to issue a ruling in the coming days.