Salem resigns from council after DWI conviction

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Council Chair Sarah Salem, on right, being placed in handcuffs by a City of Poughkeepsie Police Officer on February 26, 2020. Mid-Hudson News file photo.
Council Chair Sarah Salem. Mid-Hudson News file photo.

POUGHKEEPSIE – Common Council Chairperson Sarah Salem has submitted her resignation just hours after being convicted of a misdemeanor DWI on Tuesday.  The jury convicted her of DWI after a long-delayed trial on Tuesday afternoon.

Salem was arrested after failing a field sobriety test on February 26, 2020.  The jury determined that she was drunk when she drove through a red light on Main Street and hit another motorist.  The accident resulted in the other motorist sustaining a knee injury that required surgery and kept her from work for eight months.

After the jury handed down the conviction that could send Salem to jail for 364 days in addition to other fines and restrictions, she tendered her resignation.

Ignoring a request from Mid-Hudson News seeking comment, Salem sent a letter to Mayor Rob Rolison, the council, and other city officials, announcing her resignation.

“Please accept this letter as my formal resignation from the position of Councilmember At-Large of the City of Poughkeepsie Common Council, effective immediately,” Salem wrote, adding “Due to the verdict delivered today in court, I believe it in the best interest of the Common Council and the city to step aside and allow my colleagues to conduct the important business before them without distraction.”

Councilwoman Natasha Cherry, the vice-chair of the council, will assume Salem’s role as chairperson until a replacement is chosen.  From the date of Salem’s resignation, the council is tasked with accepting letters of interest from city residents and selecting a person to fill Salem’s vacancy within 30 days from her resignation, dated September 20, 2022.

Democratic Majority Leader Evan Menist, the Second Ward councilman issued a statement late Tuesday evening, saying in part, “We support the decision of Council Chairperson Salem to resign from their (her) position while they (she) contemplate their (her) next steps with regard to these legal proceedings, and believe that it is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Poughkeepsie.”

Salem’s defense attorney, Steve Paterson indicated that the lengthy legal battle is not finished.  The well-respected defense attorney told Mid-Hudson News after the trial, “We truly appreciate all the time and effort the jurors put into the deliberations. However, we are very disappointed with the conviction and will likely take an appeal.”

 




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