Albany County sheriff says forcible touching case against former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is ‘solid’
However Sheriff Craig Apple instructed reporters he firmly believes his investigators’ case towards Cuomo is “stable.”
Apple mentioned his workplace filed paperwork with Albany Metropolis Courtroom that got here again “at a comparatively accelerated price.”
“We thought the paperwork have been going to be reviewed. We weren’t anticipating a five-minute turnaround,” Apple mentioned at a information convention. “We filed the paperwork searching for which course of we should always comply with: would they need to subject a prison arrest warrant or a prison summons?”
Apple mentioned he had a gathering scheduled with Albany County District Legal professional David Soares that day and “would favored to have talked to the DA first.” Soares launched an announcement after the misdemeanor criticism was filed Thursday saying he was “shocked” to be taught {that a} prison criticism had been filed in court docket.
Apple mentioned he additionally would have favored to speak to Cuomo’s lawyer earlier than the data was launched.
“I do not assume these paperwork ought to have been launched till after we had an arraignment,” he mentioned.
Cuomo, who is predicted to look in court docket in Albany on November 17 to be arraigned and processed on the cost, has not but been served the summons, the sheriff mentioned.
The lady, whose title has been redacted from court docket paperwork, filed a criticism with the sheriff’s workplace in August, and Apple mentioned that over the previous 4 months investigators have performed a “very complete and methodical investigation” with a whole lot of paperwork, search warrants and interviews with the sufferer and different witnesses.
“Now we have a stable case. Our investigative employees did a fabulous job,” he mentioned. “They took a really high-profile investigation they methodically broke it down.”
Apple reiterated that his workplace’s investigation is separate from an investigation by Soares’ workplace, however that it’s not unusual for a sheriff’s workplace to not seek the advice of with an area district lawyer for a misdemeanor case.
“If we consulted with the DA on each single misdemeanor case there can be no justice on this county,” Apple mentioned.
A spokesman for Cuomo referred to as the sheriff’s motives “patently improper” and mentioned the cost was politically motivated.
Apple, in response, mentioned, “That is ridiculous. We’re an apolitical group.”
“We do our investigations we’re a really skilled company. I took an oath, and we took a criticism. And we adopted via with it and we did like each different police division and sheriff’s workplace ought to have performed,” he added.
