Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has appointed the state\u2019s attorney general, Letitia James, as a special prosecutor to investigate a woman\u2019s allegations that she was raped at Cornell University in 2024, in a case that has led to widespread public outrage.<\/p>\n
As special prosecutor, Ms. James has wide latitude in her investigation of the case and what steps, if any, she takes.<\/p>\n
In a lawsuit filed last month, the woman, identified in court documents as Jane Doe, accused several men of rape while coercing her to take drugs. None of the seven men named in the suit have been charged with a crime, and all have denied wrongdoing. Four said that they had consensual sexual contact at the fraternity house with the woman, and the others have denied participating.<\/p>\n
How Ms. James handles the investigation will shape the trajectory of a case that has renewed conversations nationally about fraternities and sexual assault on college campuses.<\/p>\n
Ms. James has frequently waded into politically fraught matters as attorney general, accusing President Trump of exaggerating his net worth by billions of dollars and winning a civil judgment against him in 2024. Mr. Trump\u2019s Justice Department has repeatedly sought to indict her on federal charges.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Mr. Trump lashed out at Ms. James and her involvement in the case, referring to her as \u201ca corrupt person\u201d and claiming that anyone she was investigating \u201cwon\u2019t get a fair shake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms. James, at a news conference on Friday, said she would \u201creview the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses and, if warranted, pursue prosecutions\u201d over the coming months.<\/p>\n
Legal experts who spoke with The New York Times say that the case could present some obstacles. These include the evolution of Jane Doe\u2019s account, first reported by the woman to the Cornell Police Department nearly two years ago, as well as a New York law that makes it difficult to bring a rape conviction if a person was willingly intoxicated. <\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what lies ahead for Ms. James\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n
Ms. James has broad investigative powers.<\/p>\n
As special prosecutor, Ms. James has broad discretion to investigate the allegations that Jane Doe was raped on Oct. 19, 2024, at a Cornell fraternity.<\/p>\n
In appointing Ms. James, Ms. Hochul said that she had lost faith in the ability of Matthew Van Houten, the local Tompkins County district attorney, to properly investigate the encounter. The governor said that Ms. James \u201cshall exercise all the powers and perform all the duties in respect of such actions or proceedings\u201d that Mr. Van Houten would have otherwise been authorized to do.<\/p>\n
Mr. Van Houten has defended the work of the district attorney\u2019s office. In a statement released on Friday, he said that he welcomed the appointment of Ms. James and that his office was \u201cnot provided the full picture by the university.\u201d<\/p>\n
If Ms. James determines that there is sufficient evidence that a crime has been committed, she will bring the case before a grand jury, which may decide to indict potential defendants.<\/p>\n
Ms. James has previously dealt with special counsel appointments in politically charged cases. In 2021, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo asked Ms. James to appoint an independent counsel to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct against him, which he denied. Mr. Cuomo resigned after the publication of an ensuing report.<\/p>\n