Doorley sets Aug. 31 retirement date

After facing controversy stemming from a traffic stop last year, Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley announced her retirement Friday.

“This letter is bittersweet,” Doorley wrote in her retirement letter. “This decision did not come easily for me. Serving you has been the greatest honor of my life.”

The letter states that her final day will be Aug. 31. Based on that timing, which is more than three months before the November general election, the New York State Constitution allows for Gov. Kathy Hochul to appoint an interim district attorney until a new candidate is elected after Doorley steps down.

Who that replacement will likely be is not yet known.

Doorley’s announcement comes after the state Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct recommended she should be publicly censured based on its investigation into the traffic stop in April 2024. Doorley failed to pull over in Webster for speeding during the incident and body-cam footage revealed she said her position would give her special treatment against the ticket.

Both the Monroe County Board of Ethics and Monroe County Office of Public Integrity investigated the incident last summer, finding issues with Doorley’s conduct during the incident. Onondaga County District Attorney William FitzPatrick elected not to pursue further charges after being selected to review Doorley’s conduct.

The Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct began its investigation based on a formal written complaint. In deposition hearings, Doorley told the commission she planned to step down. The commission released its findings, including a recommendation of public censure, last month. Doorley’s retirement letter does not mention the commission report.

“As I recently turned 62, I know that this is the right time for me, for my family, and for all of you,” she wrote.

The district attorney reflected on her 33 years in the department, with 13 of those serving in the top position. She highlighted efforts made during her time there including: the Gun Involved Violence Elimination Initiative, the Non-Fatal Shooting Task Force, the Monroe County Heroin Taskforce, and a public facing dashboard in partnership with Measures For Justice.

Doorley joined the leadership team at the district attorney’s office in 2004, becoming the chief of the Felony DWI Bureau. She was first elected district attorney in 2011, defeating Republican candidate Bill Taylor. In 2015, she switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican and won reelection that year, in 2019, and 2023.

Her letter thanks law enforcement agencies, including the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, the New York State Police, and Rochester Police Department, for their partnership during her tenure. She calls RPD officers “the finest in the country.”

Doorley’s letter also mentions the emotional connection she still has to individuals involved in cases. She listed names of crime victims she had prosecuted on behalf of as well as law enforcement killed while on duty.

“There are so many more names. So many victims I still carry with me,” wrote Doorley. “Because this job, at its core, was never about headlines or accolades. It was always about them.”

Records show that Doorley sold her Webster home last year and purchased two properties in Charleston County, S.C. In a March 2025 deposition by the Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct, she noted the sale of her home while indicating her intention to resign.

“Let me ride off into the sunset. I mean, I’ve already sold my house in Webster. We bought a house in South Carolina. My husband’s living down there,” she said at the deposition. “It’s time for me to go.”

Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.

The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to discuss on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing [email protected].