Us Legal And Education News

New York appoints special prosecutor after Cornell rape case reveals missing evidence

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has appointed Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor to investigate the alleged 2024 gang rape of a Cornell student, citing failures by local authorities and the university. The decision follows the discovery that the Tompkins County District Attorney never reviewed a key 2024 police transcript in which the victim stated she was '100% confident' she was raped. While the civil lawsuit alleges drugging and non-consensual assault, the DA previously declined charges based on a condensed statement describing the events as consensual. Cornell has agreed to an independent review, and the case has sparked national debate over campus accountability and state rape laws regarding voluntary intoxication.