POUGHKEEPSIE – Former City of Poughkeepsie Common Council Chairperson Sarah Salem is once again scheduled for sentencing in her DWI conviction on Monday, January 23. A jury found Salem guilty of DWI on September 20, 2022, for a DWI that involved an accident in February 2020. Salem resigned from her council position hours after the jury handed down a guilty verdict.
Salem is facing a maximum sentence of 364 days in the Dutchess County Jail. Additionally, according to Dutchess County Senior Assistant District Attorney Ryan LeGrady, Salem could also face “Two to three years of probation, a combination of jail and probation, or a conditional discharge with a fine, ignition interlock requirement, and some mandatory programs through the DMV.” The traffic violation for the red light conviction carries a fine.
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.
