Law&Crime Sidebar - ‘Karen’ District Attorney Slammed for Traffic Stop Tantrum

Episode Date: July 26, 2025

When Sandra Doorley, the district attorney for Monroe County, New York, saw a police car with its lights on behind her, she decided to drive home instead of pulling over. When the officer confronted her in her garage, she admitted she knew she was speeding, but didn’t think it mattered. Law&Crime’s Jesse Weber takes a closer look at body camera video of the incident with former Florida state’s attorney Dave Aronberg, as Doorley faces censure.PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW:Get 15% off OneSkin with the code SIDEBAR at https://www.oneskin.co #oneskinpodHOST:Jesse Weber: https://twitter.com/jessecordweberLAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokeVideo Editing - Michael Deininger, Christina O'Shea & Jay CruzScript Writing & Producing - Savannah Williamson & Juliana BattagliaGuest Booking - Alyssa Fisher & Diane KayeSocial Media Management - Vanessa BeinSTAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LAW&CRIME NETWORK:Watch Law&Crime Network on YouTubeTV: https://bit.ly/3td2e3yWhere To Watch Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3akxLK5Sign Up For Law&Crime's Daily Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LawandCrimeNewsletterRead Fascinating Articles From Law&Crime Network: https://bit.ly/3td2IqoLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge all episodes of this law and crimes series ad free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple podcasts or Spotify. You know what I've been dealing with all day? Three murders in the city. And do you think I really care if I was going 20 miles over the speed limit? I'm just doing my job. A New York district attorney signaled that she would resign after she apparently berated a police officer during a traffic stop, refused to do anything he said. This was apparently all caught on body cam video in a bizarre traffic stop.

We have thoughts and guess what? Our guest, former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Ehrenberg, also has thoughts. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law & Crime, I'm Jesse Weber. Welcome to Sidebar, presented by Law and Crime, I'm Jesse Webber. Sandra Dorley. Do you know that name? She's the elected district attorney for Monroe County, New York. I should say at least for now. Why? Because she apparently told the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct that she would resign

from her position as they were investigating her actions during a traffic stop back in April of 2024. Now in May, a formal complaint was filed laying out allegations against Dorley, and in June she entered into an agreed statement of fact saying that she understood that the commission was going to recommend that she be censured. According to the commission's June 26 report, quote, specifically the complaint alleged that respondent failed to comply with a lawful traffic stop and used the power of her office as district attorney

for her own benefit and was belligerent and hostile towards the patrol officer when she A, refused to comply with a lawful order to stop her vehicle pursuant to a traffic stop, B, called the chief of the Webster police to seek special treatment, C, failed to follow the police officer's directives, D, made repeated references to her position as the district attorney of Monroe County, E, was hostile to the police officer who was effectuating the lawful stop and repeatedly used profanity towards him, and F, made a public statement that contained material omissions about her conduct and interactions with law enforcement.

So I want to bring on somebody to talk about this, somebody who would never be caught doing anything allegedly like this, former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Arenberg, who's with me here in studio. Dave, good to see you. Thanks so much for taking the time. Jesse, great to be back with you. And as always, please let everybody know where they can see more of your content because you do provide excellent expert legal analysis out there. Thank you so much. Yes, I do videos for Legal AF on

YouTube, but also I'm the managing partner of Dave Ehrenberg Law. It's a boutique litigation firm and I just published a book, Fighting the Florida Shuffle, which is about the fraud and abuse in the drug treatment industry and how federal laws unintentionally fuel this corruption. I think you brought a copy last time you were here, right? I think you did, right? I have a copy back in the room for you. That feels like you don't have a copy for me. That's okay. I just caught him. I just caught him. He's like, I have a copy somewhere for you. It's in the mix of books. All good, all good. Yeah, it's in my other bag.

It's in your other bag. Got left on the plane. Okay, let's talk about this. When you hear a story like this, does it get you angry? Because it's interesting. When I speak to police officers or former police officers about cases where you have officers acting badly or are charged, they say nobody's more angry at a corrupt police officer a bad police officer than another member of police because it's a stain When you look at something like this these allegations and we're gonna play the video Just get you angry sure it does it really hits home because when you serve as a prosecutor You stand on the shoulders of all the people who came before you, and when one person acts badly, it tarnishes the whole profession.

And before we came on, your team was surprised that I had already known about this incident before you sent it to me. Like, how'd you know? Like, because it happened to a fellow state attorney, a fellow DA, and of course I'm gonna know, because it's an embarrassment. And you know how I know is because other people sent it to me.

See, they identified me with her because we're both elected DAs. But what she did was absolutely unacceptable. She deserves everything she's getting. And a resignation may be too easy. What's censure? Censure is just what happens in the world of politics where they say, shame on you. We are publicly naming and shaming you, but it really has no practical impact.

She could stay in office, in other words. You could be censured and stay in office. Right, now if you want a real sanction, it would be a suspension, a docking her in pay. It would be termination where she's like, force a resign. She apparently is going to resign, at least she saidination where she's like, revoked, uh, forced to resign. She apparently is going to resign, at least she said it.

There's no clear expiration date here. Yeah. And it seems like all the balls are in her court. Hey, I want to thank Oneskin for sponsoring today's episode of Sidebar, because let's be honest, being on camera as much as I am, I think it proves the point. Having the right skincare products matter. Our skin gets older, it gets dry, there's deeper wrinkles,

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So for a limited time you can try one skin for 15% off using the code sidebar when you check out of one skin Co that's 15% off at one skin Co with code side. Remember to tell them that we sent you there when they ask, how did you hear about them? Invest in the health and longevity of your skin with Oneskin. Your future self will be thanking you. So those allegations are on full display in Police Warm Body Cam video that shows what apparently happened when police officer Cameron Chrisafulli confronted Dorley about going home instead of stopping like she was supposed to. Let's start here.

Sorry, I'm the DA. I was going 55 coming home from work. 55 and a 35? I don't really care. Okay. So you can call Dennis... Can you come, can you please come over here? You're on a, this is on a traffic stop ma'am. Yes it is. You can call Dennis Kohlmeier right now. Okay I'm

telling you why I stopped you. You didn't stop at all. Did you not hear my lights or sirens or anything? No I didn't actually I was on the phone. Okay well you're not supposed to be on the phone while you're driving either. Yes I am with the hands free absolutely. Okay why are you so upset at me? I'm doing my job. You just admitted to me that you were going 55 and a 35 on Phillips Road it's officer Krista Foley can you stay over here ma'am you're this is a legal traffic stop do you have your ID here you have your purse right there no this is my lunch would you talk to your talk to Dennis this is ridiculous hello sir good ma'am can you please stay at the back this is a lead ma'am this is ridiculous hello sir good ma'am can you please stay at the back

this is a lead ma'am this is legal traffic stop can you please stay over here sir I stopped her for going 55 in a 35 on Phillips Road and she failed to stop she drove all the way back home and parked in her garage. And now she's not complying with any of my commands. Ma'am, do not go inside. Oh my god. Yep. Yep.

All right. Ma'am, come outside. You can't just go inside. This is a traffic stop. Here's your phone back. I understand the law better than you. 95 953 can you have a supervisor come to the scene no I don't know why I don't know why you're acting like this towards me can you please go to the back of the view I'm not going to I'm home I was

going I was okay I don't care if you got home you were supposed to stop at Phillips Road when I pulled you over when my lights were initiated I know you were stopping me. There was lots of other people on the road. I was right behind you Yeah, there are other people on the road, too. Okay. I was directly behind you Can you please step over here? I'm not going to What is the reason you're you're so against what I'm doing I'm my job. You say you're a DA? I am THE DA. Okay. Okay, let me get you my badge. I am THE DA of Monroe County. I just don't understand the hostility towards me. I'm doing my job.

How am I being an a**? I am THE DA of Monroe County. I understand that, but that doesn't give you a right to go 55 and a 35. And you even admitted to me that you went 50. I understand that, ma'am. I don't really care. I understand that. You know what?

If you give me a traffic ticket, that's fine. I'm the one who prosecutes it, okay? Just go ahead and do it. Go ahead. Dave, you're watching that. You were actually cringing. What part of it disturbs you the most? All of it.

It was so uncomfortable because I was the elected DA, and when law enforcement stops you, you comply, you show respect, especially because I know when you run for office, you say that I am pro-law and order, I'm pro-public safety, I respect our first responders, the men and women in blue. That's not respect. That was awful from beginning to end. Cursing at him, he's doing his job, running away into the house when he tells you not to, then handing the phone to the officer saying, this is your boss, essentially he's going to call you off, credit to the sheriff or police chief,

whoever that was, I guess it's the chief of the town, who apparently did not tell his officer, his employee, to let her go. And if he had, it would have been a bigger scandal. Yeah. And the fact she's like, I'm the one who prosecutes it. I'm the one who prosecutes it. By the way, that's not necessarily true. No, no, not at all.

Because unless it's a crime, the DA is not the prosecutor. This is not a crime. This is not a crime. This is an infraction. She knows that. Now, according to the officer's report, when he pulled up behind Doralee Suburban, not only did she not pull over, she didn't react at all. She didn't just speed up or slow down. She just apparently kept cruising along at 55 miles an hour.

Just come outside over here. No, I'm not going outside. Okay. I'm waiting for you just to leave. along at 55 miles an hour. Do you have your driver's license? I just showed you my driver's license. You show me your badge. Thanks, Denver. When EMS, a 14 year old, is having a seizure, 200 East River Road, apartment 200, on the third floor. Because I was going 55 up to Los Rojos. She's a DA. Yep, I know. And I was just trying to pull into my driveway I was on the phone with Dennis

Kohlmeier saying would you please tell the person who's following me that I'm just almost home. Ma'am I understand you were going home but I started my lights back at Phillips Road. I'm on Phillips Road I guess you did and there are other cars cars I was right behind you directly behind you at the end like listen you want at the end of the day okay at the end of the day at the end of the day I was stopping you for speed if you just stopped a day I've been dealing with I get it and I get it we have bad days also ma'am we have bad days also, ma'am. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. We have bad days also. I'm going to just add it to the job real quick. Here, your order.

You can just go and actually add it. You don't have to use the error. At the end of the day, I was just making a traffic sound. Doing my job. What I was supposed to do. Well, fine. Thank you. Okay. So now, supervisor's on his way. I'm doing my job what I was supposed to do. Okay So now supervisors on his way and then we'll go from there huh sergeant Johnson I Understand you had it like I get it we all have bad days at work

This is a traffic stop and I'm you out of everyone should know that if there's a legal traffic stop, which I have I have the right to detain you until this is done Now Dorley would end up making three calls to police chief Dennis Kohlmeyer about this stop We're having supervisors come and then we'll go from there This is what my chief wants. At the end of the day, you called him. I spoke to him on your phone and this is what he wants. I'm going to call him again. Seriously.

Dave, really what's interesting is if there wasn't body cam and it was his word against her word would be a very different case. Watching this, very uncomfortable. Use the word entitlement, right? Entitled, right? First, he's driving a state car like a law enforcement vehicle you got the Tahoe with the dark windows he's driving around speeding she thinks she's above the law and unfortunately when you are the chief law enforcement officer of the county and

that's what the state attorney or district attorney is you sometimes can get lulled to do a sense that you are above the law and you should never think like that you should be humble because you have the ultimate power of depriving someone of their freedom. You are not the police's boss. You're not their boss. It's a separate agency. And just because you work with them,

doesn't mean that you get to order them around or curse them. The whole thing is terrible. And just that sense of entitlement. Here's one other thing. I happen to, I'm sure she did not think that the body cameras were rolling because the way she acted, she probably just didn't even think that there was even a body camera

there. Because had she known, I'm sure she wouldn't have acted like that. Her defenses, you know, I had a rough day, oh, I didn't know that the lights were on for me. That doesn't quite add up. He was falling directly behind her. She knows what a traffic stop is. She's saying, well, you're going to be pulling over anyone else. No, he's just directly behind you, tailgating you essentially into your driveway. The one

thing I will say about her, positive though, is that she has a cute dog. That is true. The dog's very confused as well as to what's happening. So, I want to go back to this. According to the complaint, which relies on a police transcript, quote, responded admitted that she had been speeding, did not want to stop on Phillips Road and chose to drive to her house. Respondent was upset that PO Chris Afuli did not recognize her vehicle. When Chief Kohlmeier explained that the officer would not know who she was based on her vehicle and that she should have pulled over, respond respondents stated, he should have run the plate.

It's a big black SUV and now I've got like five cops here. Now a sergeant and a lieutenant arrived at the scene to try to get things straightened out. According to the police transcript, when they told her that pulling over wasn't her choice, she said she made it her choice. And the senior officers scolded DA Dorley for at 5. Well, you broke it on the law. Who says that? Right?

You should know better. That's not a trap to evict. That's an arrestable offense. You know that. 717, I got nothing to show off. Why don't you have to tell them that you made it a bigger deal than they needed to be? Should have known better. You picked up on something about that.

They said it's an arrestable offense. She could have been arrested for fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest without violence. I mean, there's a number of things she could have been arrested for, taken away in handcuffs. She got off easy by just getting a traffic ticket. So she's lucky, but in the end, not so lucky. Well, the responding officer went back to his car to write up the speeding ticket, bringing it back up to Dorley. But even as he was trying to leave,

the DA continued to argue. All right, ma'am. So I'm issuing you speed and zone, 55 and a 35. I'll take care of it since I'll be prosecuting myself. Okay. At the end of the day, if you see my lights and sirens behind you, and obviously they're going off, just pull over, we're going to have a conversation, and be on our way.

I kept my on-year vehicle, I'm not going to check my computer to see what point it is if a vehicle is not stopping for me. I want to keep my eyes on that vehicle for my safety so I might get home at the end of the day. Okay? I apologize, but I forgot. I'm sorry that you had a bad day, and'm sorry it went this way but I do respect what you do.

Have a good day ma'am. Call Dennis on this. Call Dennis on this. What do you think? So if she had just pulled over like she should have, like everyone else is required to, even the DA, then he could have run her plates. And then he could have made the determination whether to give her a ticket. When I was the state attorney, I was pulled over

by a different agency, the Florida Highway Patrol, because he got behind me and ran my plate and it came back as unknown. And so he thought, well, what is unknown? Is this a stolen car? And he pulled me over in a restaurant parking lot, all these people looking. And you know what I said to him?

I said, I respect what you do. It's unknown because it's a government vehicle and thank you and everything was fine. I didn't try to pull rank. I didn't try to tell him he's a jerk or curse at him. He's doing his job. And just a little humility goes a long way. Can you imagine, I mean, this is why this hurts me so much.

If you watched another show, a TV show, it wouldn't be as successful as you. But if you watched another streaming or TV show host and they were making demands of their staff, bring me Dijon Mustard, you'd be appalled by that. You know, kicking and screaming. That's how I feel about this. Yellow Mustard, probably, I would demand,

but I do like Dijon as much as the next person. Okay, so three days after the traffic stopped. So now we're talking about April 25th, 2024, the DA released a written statement about the stop. Problem with it? Seems like it left out a couple of details. Here's what her statement said, quote, on Monday, April 22nd, 2024, I was driving home following a busy day at work. I admit that I was not paying attention to my speed on Phillips Road in the town of Webster. Less than half a mile from my neighborhood, I noticed a Webster police car behind me. Once I realized that the intention of the car was to pull me over, I called the Webster

police chief to inform him that I was not a threat and that I would speak to the officer at my house down the street. The Webster police officer followed me to my house and issued me a speeding ticket for my speed of 55 miles per hour in a 35 mile per hour zone. I acknowledged that I was speeding and I accepted the ticket. By 1 p.m. the following day, I pled guilty and sent the ticket to the Webster Town Court because I believe in accepting responsibility for my actions and had no intention of using

my position to receive a benefit. Nobody, including your district attorney, is above the rule of law, even traffic laws. Anybody who knows me understands without a doubt that I have dedicated my entire 33-year career to the safety of this community, my work to ensure the safety and respect of law enforcement is well proven time and time again. I stand by my work and stand by my commitment to the public safety of Monroe County." Is that exactly what happened? People lie. Video does not. Maybe if this were the 1970s she can get away with that, but now there are cameras

everywhere and that video is very telling. Why put out a statement like that? I think you have to. You have to put out a statement. This became a viral thing and I think she assumed that most people did not watch the entire video. It's a lengthy video and they just heard what they heard through the news, through people talking about it. But anyone who watched that video knows that what she said is not exactly what happened, not even close. So the Monroe County Board of Ethics thought that her statement didn't really line up with

what had happened as well. So they decided to do an investigation, and it seems that they found Ms. Dorley violated section 4513A of the code of ethics. The statute reads, every officer or employee should endeavor to pursue a course of conduct which will not raise suspicion among the public that she's likely to be engaged in acts that are in violation of her trust. She should not use or attempt to use her official position to secure unwarranted privileges or exemptions for herself or others.

She should not by her conduct give reasonable basis for the impression that any person can improperly influence her or unduly enjoin her favor in the performance of her official duties or that she is affected by the kinship, position, or influence of any party or person. And the commission's report says that Dorley acknowledged her behavior warranted censure. She also reportedly told the commission that she planned to resign, but didn't really give a timeline for when that might happen. Now Dorley released a statement after the report came out. This was reported by the Democrat in Chronicle and it said, I am content that the commission has concluded its investigation by recommending the censure I have sought since this process

commenced. I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Monroe County. Now, Dorlee has been district attorney since 2012 when she was the first woman elected DA in Monroe County. She's been re-elected three times. She first ran as a Democrat, switched to the Republican Party in 2015. The fact that that was what the report was, how significant is that to you? It's significant, but I'm wondering if there were other sanctions that were considered. I'm also wondering when she publicly said that she would resign.

Did she tell the commission that after she got sanctioned or was it something she said in advance? Because perhaps a reason why they only voted to censor her and nothing more is because she said, I'm going to resign. But of course, she didn't give a resignation date and she's still in office today. I don't know if you know this, but typically DAs, how could they be removed maybe for something like this? I'm in Florida.

There were two DAs removed by the governor for a lot less than this. He just didn't like their politics. This is like misbehavior. This is something that you would think every state has something in the rules that if you act improperly, break the law, I know there's always something back from the Stone Ages of drunkenness, public drunkenness is always in there, then you can be suspended or removed by the governor. And it's interesting they have rules that are specific to this kind of conduct or analogous to this kind of conduct because

This is a very concern This is a very fear someone potentially abusing their position now according to the Democrat and Chronicle Monroe County Republican Party chairman Patrick Riley Issued the following statement the incident in Webster was serious unbecoming and in the end extremely unfortunate I am saddened by this entire situation and I hope D.A. Dorley can enjoy a fresh start in whatever she chooses to do next." We'll see what she chooses to do next. What do you make of that comment, that statement? Well that's as far as he'll go to a fellow Republican who started out as a Democrat then switched parties, but you can't defend that. It's hard to.

Also if she says she's going to resign, then she's not going to have a future in politics. So why go out on a limb? Why make this the hill to to resign, then she's not going to have a future in politics. So why go out on a limb? Why make this the hill to die on for someone who's not going to be around politics anymore and just gives everyone in the party a bad name? Dave Arenberg, thanks so much for coming on. Great seeing you. Appreciate you taking the time. Thank you, Jesse.

And that's all we have for you right now here on Sidebar. Everybody, thank you so much for joining us. And as always, please subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you should get your podcasts. I'm Jesse Weber. I'll speak to you next time.