纽约州总检察长莉蒂娅·詹姆斯周四提交法庭文件，反对一项试图以政治偏见为由阻止她担任康奈尔大学强奸案特别检察官的请愿。詹姆斯在文件中表示，要求撤换她特别检察官职务的请愿所依据的主张“不具备可诉性”。被告之一吉利奥·洛佩斯的律师本月早些时候提交请愿书，辩称詹姆斯“明确表现出了偏见和有罪推定”。
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.”
洛佩斯是七名因涉嫌在康奈尔大学一兄弟会会所强奸一名女子而被起诉的男子之一。詹姆斯在回应中写道，请愿人缺乏起诉资格，即便有资格法院也应驳回，且州长有权任命特别检察官。詹姆斯在反对洛佩斯律师请愿的文件中写道：“请愿人要求本法院不当撤销州长的一项自由裁量行动。”纽约州州长凯西·霍楚尔（民主党人）于10月1日任命詹姆斯为康奈尔案调查的特别检察官。
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. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, appointed James as special prosecutor in the investigation of the Cornell case on Oct. 1.
霍楚尔援引了对大学警察和当地检察官办公室处理该女子2024年性侵指控方式的担忧。该女子在诉讼中指控，她于2024年在兄弟会会所遭到强奸并被下药。指控引发愤怒，包括对当晚一个群聊中关于她的信息的愤慨。目前未提出刑事指控。诉讼中该女子化名为“简·多伊”。诉讼中另一名被告、前兄弟会成员温斯顿·李的律师也于本月提交动议，寻求取消詹姆斯参与未来大陪审团程序的资格。
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.
该事项尚在审理中。詹姆斯办公室发言人周四表示，尚未正式回应李的文件。李和洛佩斯的律师均表示，其当事人否认指控。
That matter is pending. A spokesperson for James’ office said Thursday that it has not formally responded to Lee’s filing. Attorneys for Lee and Lopes have said their clients deny the accusations.
李和洛佩斯的动议均以纽约州总检察长在9月28日（詹姆斯被任命为特别检察官之前）发布的一条Facebook帖文为由，主张存在偏见。帖文写道：“这位年轻女性被迫遭受的一切令人发指，绝不可接受。我将她铭记于心，为她祈祷。”“致她，以及所有幸存者：你们并不孤单。我们与你们站在一起。”针对要求詹姆斯退出该职务的呼声，她本月表示，自己“致力于领导一项全面的调查，让他们能够信任，仅遵循事实、证据和法律”。
Both Lee’s and Lopes’ motions argue bias by pointing to a post on the New York attorney general’s Facebook account on Sept. 28, before James was appointed special prosecutor. “What this young woman has been forced to endure is horrific and unacceptable. I’m holding her in my heart and in my prayers,” it read. “To her, and to all survivors: you’re not alone. We stand with you.”In response to calls for James to step down from the role, she said this month that she was “committed to leading a comprehensive investigation they can trust, guided only by the facts, the evidence, and the law.”