What's Taking Mayor Warren's Trial so Long?

During the mayoral campaign of 2017, one of her other candidates for mayor accused incumbent Rochester mayor Lovely Warren of knowingly violating campaign funding rules and regulations..

The public was assured that the District Attorney's office took these allegations very seriously and would investigate them, very slowly, as it turned out.

Meantime, Mayor Warren won re-election, easily trouncing her Democratic opponents in the primary election, including the candidates who accused her in funding improprieties, and defeating the Republican candidate in the General Election.

During the next three years, not much more was said publicly about these accusations, except that occasionally the DA would state that she was still investigating them.

Finally, on October 2, 2020, three and a half years AFTER the initial accusations were made, Mayor Warren was indicted on charges of knowingly committing campaign funding fraud. 

Three days later, she was arraigned, after having her own photographer take her mug shot.

Rank DOES have its privileges, after all.

The DA, Sandra Doorley, merely stated that the pandemic had delayed the indictment and arraignment, without providing any really useful information as to why her investigation took three years BEFORE the pandemic before it produced any fruit.

Nor was NYS Attorney General Tish James any more forthcoming with information about this instance of corruption in Rochester or of her opinion of it.

For the last few months, there has only been the instance of the mayor going to court, asking for a change of venue (which was denied in January) and then ultimately demanding that the case against her be dropped (also denied in February).

The presiding judge graciously gave the mayor more time to prepare for her trial

Here it stands.

Of course, she is running for re-election this year, too, and making more grandiose election promises than is usual for her.

But when will he trial take place?

It has been four years now, after all.

And it's doubtful that she will be convicted.

The reason: Sandra Doorley and Tish James are part of the Legal "Old Girls' Club."

They dragged their feet because they didn't want to see a female (and a Black female, at that) politician be convicted and removed from office.

Which only makes sense.

Except that Mayor Warren is now complaining that the DA masterminded a plot against her when her husband was arrested  on drug and firearms charges and her home was raided by the NYS police.

Mayor Warren's paranoia is a chronic condition.

If it isn't racism, it's sexism. Or both.

And her problems are always someone else's fault.

Still, it HAS been four years and no trial to put these charges, at least, to bed.

And prison jumpsuits are usually colored orange, which is the mayor's favorite color.