After more than two decades of anonymity, former Assembly aide Rikki Shaw has stepped out from behind the "Jane Doe" label and publicly named herself as the woman who accused a top Assembly lawyer of sexual assault. Shaw says the attack took place in June 2003 and argues that what happened to her exposed a predatory culture at the New York State Capitol. She is now backing a civil suit that accuses the Assembly of protecting the politically connected instead of the people who worked for them.
Shaw first identified herself publicly in October 2025 and told reporters she intends to testify in support of Elizabeth Crothers's Court of Claims lawsuit, which Crothers filed in 2023 under the Adult Survivors Act. In an affidavit cited in that case, Shaw says she "was raped by Michael Boxley in my own apartment" and contends that the Assembly's internal response to earlier complaints helped keep other staffers quiet. As reported by WAMC.
The 2003 arrest and plea
Boxley was arrested in June 2003 and later pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor sexual misconduct. Court records show that on Feb. 23, 2004 he was sentenced to six years of probation, a $1,000 fine and required registration on the sex offender registry. Local reporting has also tracked his role as chief counsel to then Speaker Sheldon Silver and his later work as a private lawyer and consultant. Those details appear in court records and subsequent coverage by the Times Union.
The Crothers lawsuit and Shaw's decision
In 2023, former Assembly staffer Elizabeth Crothers filed suit alleging that the Assembly mishandled a 2001 complaint she made about Boxley and ostracized staffers who reported abuse. The state, represented in the Court of Claims by the Attorney General's office, has moved to dismiss the case on procedural grounds. Crothers's lawyers say Shaw's testimony could become a key piece of the case if the lawsuit survives those early challenges. As reported by WAMC.
Recent filings and depositions
Fresh court filings and deposition excerpts made public this week show the litigation shifting into a more visible phase. According to recent reporting, Boxley repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right during a deposition and declined to answer numerous questions, which is documented in the court papers and transcripts now on file. The deposition excerpts and related coverage were published on April 6, 2026. As reported by the New York Post.
Albany's broader reckoning
The allegations from Crothers and Shaw have reopened long standing questions about how the statehouse handled complaints involving powerful insiders. Over the last two decades, reporting and commentary have traced a pattern in which internal probes and early public assurances from leadership left accusers isolated while high profile staffers appeared to avoid serious consequences. Local outlets and policy reporters have placed the current claims squarely in that institutional history. As noted by Gotham Gazette.
Legal implications
The Crothers complaint was filed under the Adult Survivors Act's revival window, a one year look back period the governor signed into law on May 24, 2022 that briefly allowed time barred adult sexual abuse claims to be revived. If a judge denies the state's motion to dismiss and the case moves ahead, the plaintiffs could seek discovery that includes additional witness testimony and documentary evidence about how Assembly leaders handled earlier complaints. The governor's materials explain the timing and intent of the statute. As outlined by the Governor's Office.
For now, the case remains active in the Court of Claims, and the next round of filings will determine whether it clears the procedural hurdles. Shaw's choice to go public adds a witness who is willing to put her name on the record, but whether that leads to a full trial or an early dismissal will be up to the judge. Both sides say they intend to fight hard, and the docket will show whether Albany's institutions are in for renewed scrutiny or another closed chapter.
