POUGHKEEPSIE – The sentencing of former City of Poughkeepsie Council Chairperson Sarah Salem has been postponed again. Salem was convicted of DWI on September 20, 2022, for an incident that occurred on February 26, 2020. The COVID pandemic created a substantial delay in the prosecution of Salem.
Sentencing was scheduled to take place in November 2022 and it was adjourned to January 10, 2023. A request by Salem’s attorney seeking to reschedule the sentencing was granted by Judge Volkman and the sentencing is now scheduled for January 23, 2023.
Salem faces 364 days in jail along with other fines and restrictions for the role in driving drunk and causing an accident that injured another motorist on Main Street in Poughkeepsie in February 2020. Just days before Salem was slated to be arraigned in city court, the pandemic paused the judicial system, leading to a multitude of delays in the prosecution of Salem, who was serving as the councilperson-at-large for the city at the time of their arrest.
The years-long case against Salem has resulted in many city residents claiming that race has played a role in the lengthy case. Poughkeepsie resident Roy Watterson has repeatedly said, “If she* was black, this case would have been finished shortly after the accident,” noting that he was charged with the same offense as Salem and his case was closed within weeks.
The timeline of the case is as follows:
- February 26, 2020 – arrested on a DWI charge after causing a personal injury auto accident.
- March 2020 – Arraignment postponed after COVID causes courts to shut down.
- July 2020 – Salem arraigned on a DWI charge in city court before City Court Judge Frank Mora.
- November 2020 – Preliminary hearing before Judge Mora.
- November 2020 – Trial tentatively scheduled for March 7, 2022.
- January 3, 2022 – Judge Mora is barred from appearing in his courtroom due to vaccination status.
- January 4, 2022 – All cases on Judge Mora’s calendar are reviewed and moved to Judge Scot Volkman’s court.
- January 2022 – Jury selection in Salem’s case scheduled for June 13, 2022.
- June 13, 2022 – Trial postponed indefinitely due to a member of the defense team testing positive for COVID.
- July 2022 – Jury selection rescheduled for September 13, 2022.
- September 20, 2022 – Salem convicted of DWI.
- September 20, 2020 – Salem resigns from Poughkeepsie Common Council.
- November 15, 2022 – Salem is due in court for sentencing.
- November 15, 2022 – Salem’s attorney files a motion to have the verdict set aside.
- December 20, 2022 – Judge Volkman denies motion – scheduled sentencing for January 10, 2023.
- January 9, 2023 – Salem’s attorney seeks adjournment of sentencing date. Judge Volkman rescheduled the sentencing to January 23, 2023.
* Salem’s pronounce is “they” and identifies as gender “X.”
