Yavapai County Sheriff Waugh even called a strange news conference before the trial to tell the “Paul Harvey” side of the story, trying to bolster his sergeant’s version, but he ended up giving several wrong impressions. He insinuated Roberts might have been “impaired” that night (although he knew she wasn’t) and claimed Roberts never once acknowledged his officer as he drove alongside her (although even Newnum admitted she was gesturing and yelling at him through her closed window, but he didn’t understand what she was saying.) The sheriff tried to make it seem like the sergeant was so calm and collected as he approached Roberts that “he asked for ID and proof of insurance.” Yeah, right!
Dibor Roberts went to court this spring. Her attorney did a lousy job defending her and was clearly outclassed. Even so, it’s hard to believe a jury convicted her of two felonies: fleeing an officer and resisting arrest. The judge reduced one to a misdemeanor but let the other felony stand. He didn’t impose any jail time since she had already spent six days in jail (until she could raise her $20,000 bail).
Perhaps the most haunting part of it all was the prosecutor’s last words to the jury: “She didn’t stop, and the law says you must stop.”
Oh yeah? Then why would the same sheriff’s office tell other “motorists in doubt” to get to a lighted area? (The sheriff’s office did not respond to my request to discuss the case.) A videotape of the sheriff’s news conference shows even he said if you’re in doubt, it’s a “good course of action” to get to a lighted area.
You don’t have to be a legal expert to see what happened here. Newnum might be a very nice man and a good peace officer,  but he made a lousy call that night, lost control and then needed to cover his behind. Even Sheriff Waugh said at a news conference this was a situation that “snowballed into something unfortunate to all parties.”
Yet, the sheriff tried to convince the public that Newnum “went by the book.” Remember, Newnum said he went after Roberts because she was speeding. He never proved it, but even if she had been speeding, since when do you draw a gun and smash out a window for a routine traffic stop?