James' appeal has worried some supporters of the Child Victims Act, the state law that temporarily lifted barriers to filing civil suits over child sexual abuse beyond typical time limits.
Lawyers sparred before New York's top court Wednesday over how specific a man alleging sexual abuse decades ago needs to be in his lawsuit against the state in a case that's being watched by advocates concerned about the legal standards for survivors to recall traumatic events.
A state attorney told the Court of Appeals the lawsuit doesn’t adequately specify the nature of the claimed abuse and that its time frame for when the alleged abuse happened is too broad, falling short of standards for suing the state.
Advocates and attorneys for survivors have expressed concern that a win for the state could affect some pending cases filed under the Child Victims Act, as well as cases bought more recently under a companion law that opened a litigation window for people claiming they were abused as adults.
The man sued the state in 2021, saying he was repeatedly raped, molested and fondled by multiple men, including state employees, around The Egg, a performing arts theater at the state Capitol complex.
