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Former Massachusetts prosecutor, criminal justice reform advocate acquitted of charges in rape case

The Manhattan DA’s place of business had charged Adam Foss in August 2022.

November 7, 2023, 1:03 PM

Criminal justice reform advocate Adam Foss has been acquitted of rape and sexual abuse charges, greater than a 12 months after he was once charged by way of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in a 2022 indictment.

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Foss had met his 25-year-old accuser in 2017 at a Midtown Manhattan lodge the place he allegedly raped the lady as she slept, in keeping with court docket paperwork and statements made at the file in court docket. The jury returned a verdict of no longer in charge closing week. Foss’ legal professionals had argued their stumble upon was once consensual; he had pleaded no longer in charge.

Foss was once an assistant district legal professional in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, whose TED Talk introduced him into partnership with singer John Legend on criminal justice reform. (Legend later apologized in 2021 for helping “elevate” Foss.)

PHOTO: Adam Foss speaks with probation and court employees as well as members of the legal and law enforcement community at the Berkshire Probate & Family Court in Pittsfield, Mass., Oct. 30, 2019.

Adam Foss speaks with probation and court docket staff in addition to participants of the prison and legislation enforcement neighborhood on the Berkshire Probate & Family Court in Pittsfield, Mass., Oct. 30, 2019.

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Stephanie Zollshan/The Berkshire Eagle by the use of AP

The National Law Journal named him some of the 40 maximum up-and-coming attorneys in the United States. In 2013, the Massachusetts Bar Association voted Foss prosecutor of the 12 months.

Defense legal professional Priya Chaudhry known as the decision “a testament to the fairness of our legal system” and mentioned Foss “is carefully evaluating his legal options to address the grave impact these false accusations have had on his life.”

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“Mr. Foss, a former assistant district attorney from Boston and founder of Prosecutor Impact, expresses sincere appreciation to the jury and judge for their diligent discernment of the truth in a complex case,” Chaudhry mentioned.

A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg expressed sadness with the decision.

“Survivors of sexual assault deserve to have their day in court, and our prosecutors fight every day to center and uplift their voices,” Bragg’s place of business mentioned. “While we are disappointed, we sincerely thank the jury for its service and respect the verdict it rendered. As such, we will decline to comment further at this time.”



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