Tompkins County
County in New York StateWikipedia
682
MENTIONS
448
EPISODES
265
PODCASTS
Search complete. 682 mentions across 448 episodes found for "Tompkins County".
Oct 12, 2026
DeniseHOST
Though she reported the alleged assaults to campus police several weeks later, no charges were filed.
DeniseHOST
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten announced on September 28th that he has reopened the investigation and his office is preparing to present the case to a grand jury.
DeniseHOST
Seeking justice sometimes requires us to reconsider or reopen cases when we are provided with additional evidence, he said.
DeniseHOST
In a statement, a spokesperson for Cornell said the university conducted a thorough investigation that resulted in expulsions and suspensions.
Adam WeissHOST
Some of the DA's phones wouldn't stop ringing.
Adam WeissHOST
September 28th, Tompkins County DA Matthew Van Houten reopens the case and says he'll take it to a grand jury.
Adam WeissHOST
That was quick, even though they research it over and over again.
Adam WeissHOST
Three days later, Governor Hochul takes it away from him.
Jim DrasticHOST
you
Nick KnudsenPANELIST
know, the Cornell police, the Cornell campus police, the, you know, Tompkins County officials handled this situation.
Nick KnudsenPANELIST
Yeah.
Nick KnudsenPANELIST
But there's also like so much good that happens on any college campus, just like there's like really terrible things that happen on college campuses.
Bernarda VillalonaGUEST
So, uh, highly unlikely that Letitia James is going to be removed from the case, but let's just rewind a little bit.
Bernarda VillalonaGUEST
So, when the Tompkins County district attorney was making statements in the beginning before he was removed, there wasn't a motion to remove him from the case.
Byron PittsHOST
Mm.
Bernarda VillalonaGUEST
But that's because it benefited the seven civil defendants.
Megan ThomasGUEST
And so everyone, frankly, should be doing this.
Brittany LewisHOST
And then when it comes to this Cornell case specifically, days after this lawsuit was filed, the Tompkins County District Attorney, he said he was reopening an investigation into the alleged incident.
Brittany LewisHOST
And he said, hey, back in 2024, we got a dramatically different statement than what that 101-page really bombshell lawsuit alleged.
Brittany LewisHOST
And last week, though, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, she appointed the state's Attorney General Letitia James as the special prosecutor in this case.
Brittany LewisHOST
Because Hochul said that she, quote, lost faith in the Tompkins County DA's ability to fairly oversee it.
Brittany LewisHOST
And James said she stands ready to lead a process guided by the facts and the law.
Brittany LewisHOST
And she said that they're going to review the facts, gather evidence, interview witnesses, and if warranted, pursue prosecutions.
Wendy KingHOST
The signing of the two bills comes days after prosecutors in upstate New York announced the reopening of a case involving an alleged gang rape that took place at a fraternity house at Cornell University in 2024.
Wendy KingHOST
After the report was made, the district attorney for Tompkins County, New York, declined to present the case to a grand jury.
Wendy KingHOST
The victim's allegations resurfaced this month after she sued seven men, the university, the fraternity, and her sorority.
Wendy KingHOST
Now, the same DA says he will likely present the case to a grand jury nearly two years later following pressure from the community and nationwide scrutiny.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
She told the investigator, quote, I can say with 100% confidence I was raped, end quote.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
The over 120-page transcript of Jane's interview was condensed into a six-page document that was included as part of the campus police investigation, which was later passed on to the Tompkins County DA, Matthew Van Houten.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
It's very important to note that the DA never bothered to interview Jane himself and relied solely on this high-level six-page interview summary.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
The DA would later claim that in accordance with New York state law, he felt charges could not be brought.
11 MINS LATER
Tiffany ReeseHOST
Van Houten said in a statement, receiving the transcript, "...gives him something to really dig into because that changes the landscape." Just this past week, on Thursday, October 1st, Governor Kathy Hochul signed Executive Order No.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
64, appointing New York Attorney General Letitia James as special prosecutor for the criminal investigation.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
The order explicitly states that James' jurisdiction will displace and supersede the jurisdiction of the Tompkins County District Attorney.
Tiffany ReeseHOST
In the days following the news of the lawsuit and reopened investigation, the public's call for accountability and response only increased.
Auron MacIntyreHOST
Theoretically, the details of Jane Doe's situation, scuzzy weekend party, seven-man orgy in a frat, a Snapchat message asking, shop still open, could sit comfortably alongside even the enthusiastic consent standard compounded by the latest wave of consent activists.
Auron MacIntyreHOST
And indeed, the original police filing was not classified as a rape precisely because Jane Doe's initial statement appeared to describe a voluntary encounter that was, according to the Tompkins County District Attorney, voluntary, consensual, and conscious.
Auron MacIntyreHOST
Okay, so here we get the opening of saying, look, you know, A woman in a very compromising situation makes herself available to a number of men.
Auron MacIntyreHOST
Things escalate.
Katie PhangHOST
This is the executive order that was issued by the New York governor.
Katie PhangHOST
Again, it was filed on October 2nd, but it is dated October 1st, and it says it is, "To appoint a special prosecutor to invest and... investigate and, if warranted, prosecute matters relating to an alleged sexual assault occurring in Tompkins County on October 19th to the 20th, 2024." Now, Governor Hochul cites to a specific part of the law.
Katie PhangHOST
It's Section 63, Subdivision 2 of New York Executive Law.
Katie PhangHOST
It gives her the ability as the governor to appoint somebody like Letitia James to step into the shoes of the Tompkins County District Attorney and to pretty much do the conduct and activities that that DA would have been authorized to do, investigate, present charges to a grand jury if warranted, et cetera, right? So that is the executive order.
Katie PhangHOST
October 1st, New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
Katie PhangHOST
Now, the same day, October 1st, Letitia James issues this statement on her appointment as special prosecutor.
Katie PhangHOST
The governor has entrusted my office with this investigation, and we do not take that responsibility lightly.
Katie PhangHOST
As our state's chief law enforcement officer, I stand ready to lead a process New Yorkers can trust, guided by the facts and the law." End quote.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
In reality, the lawyer says little more was done.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten says he made the decision not to go forward with a criminal case within days of the woman giving her first substantial interviews to police.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
John Summers, USA Radio News.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
From America's News Network, USA Radio
1 HR 59 MINS LATER
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
Attorney Thomas Jopra told the Associated Press campus police led the accuser to believe the investigation was continuing even after a local district attorney initially declined to prosecute.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
In reality, the lawyer says little more was done.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten says he made the decision not to go forward with a criminal case within days of the woman giving her first substantial interviews to police.
John SummersCORRESPONDENT
John Summers, USA Radio News.
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