Cornell 7 case: Hochul backs closing NY consent-law gap as AG James takes over rape investigation

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday called for changing New York’s sexual assault laws to address cases in which a person becomes too intoxicated to consent after voluntarily using drugs or alcohol, as Attorney General Letitia James formally took over the criminal investigation into an alleged 2024 sexual assault at Cornell University.

Hochul said the “Cornell 7” case had exposed what she described as a gap in state law and pledged to work with lawmakers on legislation addressing voluntary intoxication.