Second defendant in Cornell sexual assault case seeks prosecutor recusal

A second defendant accused in the alleged gang rape of a Cornell University student has asked a judge to remove New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor in the case. Lawyers for defendant Winston Lee made the request on October 9, according to UPI. Lee joins defendant Gillio Lopes, whose attorney asked for James to be removed earlier in the week, UPI and NBC News reported. [1][6]

Defense attorneys argue that James pre-judged the case before examining the evidence. Lawyers for Lee said James publicly pre-judged the guilt of the seven accused men, UPI reported. Attorney Andrew Miltenberg told Fox News that James posted "We stand with you" on social media days before her appointment, which he argued showed she had taken sides in the case. [1][4]

The case involves a civil lawsuit filed on September 16, 2026, over an alleged 2024 assault involving former members of the Chi Phi fraternity at Cornell University, as FTMQ News reported earlier. A local prosecutor originally filed no charges after receiving the initial report, but James was later appointed to serve as an independent prosecutor, UPI and Fox News reported. [1][4][13][14]