Jesse Friedman asks for judge's recusal from his case

A man who's trying to have his Great Neck child sex abuse case conviction set aside wants a judge to recuse herself from considering his petition for a new hearing.

Claiming innocence, Jesse Friedman filed a motion in June seeking an evidentiary hearing on his conviction. It followed his 1988 guilty plea to sexually abusing boys who took computer classes at his family's home.

Friedman, 45, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, has said police manipulated children into false claims, and that he pleaded guilty to avoid life in prison if convicted at trial. His attorney, Ronald Kuby, said in a Monday legal motion that having acting State Supreme Court Justice Teresa Corrigan stay on the case would "amount to a clear appearance of impropriety" because of her ties to District Attorney Kathleen Rice.

It says Corrigan was a top assistant district attorney for Rice for six of the last eight years, when Rice's office defended against attempts to hold a hearing or reveal evidence against Friedman. It also says Rice and Corrigan had worked together as prosecutors in Brooklyn.

Rice spokesman Shams Tarek said Tuesday that her office plans to oppose Friedman's motion. A court spokesman said the judge was unavailable for comment.