Democrats back Doorley for district attorney

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It has been Sandra Doorley’s dream to be Monroe County district attorney.

She has a chance to make it come true as the Democratic candidate for the post held for nearly eight years by Michael C. Green, who is awaiting word from Washington, D.C., regarding a federal judgeship confirmation.

Doorley, who the party had announced in May would run for a county judgeship, announced her candidacy for district attorney Thursday at the Monroe County Democratic Committee headquarters.

“I am the right person for this position,” she said. “Experience matters and I have that experience.”

Doorley, who has worked in the district attorney’s office for 19 years, is the first woman to be the county’s first assistant district attorney, and the first woman to oversee the homicide bureau. If she wins, she will be the first woman district attorney for Monroe County.

Doorley, chief of the appeals bureau, has also served as second assistant, chief of the DWI bureau and deputy chief of the major felony bureau.

She has tried more than 1,000 cases and prosecuted more than 1,000 violent felony offenders, including more than two dozen homicides. She is also noted for using DNA evidence to solve cold cases.

Doorley said Green has run a fantastic office and she plans to continue that with the goal of making sure justice is served and the community is protected.

Green said Doorley’s experience parallels that of his own when he ran for the office in 2003, having served for 17 years, including three as first assistant, as well as leading some of the same bureaus.

“That experience cannot be replaced,” he said. “This is not an office for on-the-job training.”

Green noted Doorley played a key role in cleaning up the Greece Police Department, leading to the convictions of its chief and three officers. He said his office faces tough and difficult decisions daily, under a lot of pressure.

“Day in and day out, she comes to work and does the right thing for this community,” he said. “I have no doubt Sandra will do a great job.”

Joining Doorley and Green was former District Attorney Howard Relin who had appointed both as his first assistants before he retired in 2003.

“The district attorney’s office deserves a person of the highest integrity,” Relin said. “Mike Green and Sandra Doorley, these are two people that have the highest standards of integrity. I’m happy to endorse Sandra. She will be a phenomenal district attorney.”

Party Chairman Joseph D. Morelle said Doorley will continue the tradition of a high level of integrity set by Relin and Green.

Morelle said he will name a new candidate within 24 hours for the judgeship Doorley was originally seeking. The vacancy was created by the January retirement of Judge Patricia D. Marks.

Morelle said he wanted Doorley on the Democratic ticket this election and was holding the district attorney position for Green should he decide to run again. Doorley acknowledged she accepted the judgeship nomination out of party loyalty. When Green decided this week not to seek re-election, Morelle offered the district attorney candidacy to Doorley.

“She has made no secret to me that her dream job has always been to be district attorney of Monroe County,” Morelle said. “My candidate was Mike Green until he told me he wasn’t a candidate.”

Doorley declined her designation for the judgeship by the deadline Monday.

“I don’t think it’s a secret to anyone out there I wanted to succeed Mike Green and Howard Relin,” Doorley said. “This is truly what I believe I am intended to do.”

Morelle blamed the indecision on who to run for the post on “the political gamesmanship of Republicans in the U.S. Senate” for holding up judicial nominations, including Green’s.

Local attorney Garrett Cummings was originally named the Democratic district attorney candidate as a placeholder to keep the position open in case Green’s nomination was not confirmed. Cummings declined the party’s designation last week, as planned.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer, who recommended Green for nomination, has said he is confident Green will be confirmed. Green’s nomination was approved June 16 by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, of which Schumer is a member, and forwarded to the full Senate for a vote, which is pending.

Doorley is running against Republican William Taylor, former county attorney now serving as special counsel to County Executive Maggie Brooks. He also served as an assistant district attorney under Green and Relin.

“Monroe County knows Bill Taylor,” Relin said. “Monroe County likes Bill Taylor. We’re saying Sandra Doorley has 20 years of remarkable experience. This job requires the highest level of experience.”

Doorley was also the Fourth Judicial Department’s Robert M. Morgenthau Award winner earlier this year for “excellence as a prosecutor.” She and her husband, Bill Loftus, have two daughters: Erin and Meghan.