January 1, Prosecutor in Cuomo’s groping case asks for more time to review

Albany Country District Attorney David Soares requested more time from a judge to evaluate the evidence as he investigates accusations that former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) groped a woman. Soares said the criminal complaint recently filed by a local sheriff was “potentially defective.”

Soares said the complaint, accusing Cuomo of forcible touching by putting his hand under a woman’s shirt on Dec. 7, caught him off guard. He wrote a letter to Judge Holly Trexler, saying that his office had been investigating the matter for months.

“We were in the middle of that investigation when the Sheriff unilaterally and inexplicably filed a complaint in this court,” Soares wrote. “Unfortunately, the filings in this matter are potentially defective in that the police-officer-complainant failed to include a sworn statement by the victim such that the People could proceed with a prosecution on these papers.”

Additionally, Soares said, the sheriff’s complaint only included part of the woman’s testimony, excluding sections that could be ” exculpatory,” or potentially helpful to the defense.

The judge granted a delay until Jan. 7, 2022.

Cuomo has repeatedly denied any inappropriate conduct.

Source:

Prosecutor in Andrew Cuomo’s groping case seeks more time