Five years after the accusations that ended his political career, Dominic Foppoli is about to face his accusers in a courtroom — not a criminal one, but a civil one. And it’s happening in Sonoma County, the place he once led.
The former Windsor mayor is set to stand trial next month in Sonoma County Superior Court in a civil suit brought by women who say he sexually assaulted them. Jury proceedings are expected to begin the first full week of July, and both sides told the Press Democrat that testimony could run about six weeks. Foppoli, who has always denied the allegations and was never criminally charged, is expected to take the stand himself.
Key takeaways
- A civil trial accusing former Windsor Mayor Dominic Foppoli of sexual assault is set to open the first full week of July in Sonoma County Superior Court.
- Testimony is expected to last roughly six weeks. Foppoli is expected to testify.
- The case stems from a civil complaint first filed in April 2022; Foppoli was never criminally charged and denies the allegations.
- It is one of three civil cases against him now headed for juries, including a separate suit by reality-TV personality Farrah Abraham set for trial this summer.
How it got here
Foppoli resigned as Windsor’s mayor in 2021 after a series of women came forward publicly with accusations against him. The Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office never filed criminal charges, which left the civil courts as the only venue where the claims would be tested. The lead civil complaint was filed in April 2022, and it has taken until now to reach a jury.
The plaintiffs — a group of women who say Foppoli assaulted them after they had been drugged or were otherwise unable to consent — have spent five years pushing the case toward trial. Foppoli’s side has fought it at every turn, and he has consistently maintained that any encounters were consensual and that he did nothing criminal. None of the allegations has been proven in court; that is what the trial is for.
Why it’s being heard here
Foppoli’s attorneys tried to move the trial out of Sonoma County, arguing that years of local coverage made a fair jury impossible to seat here. A judge rejected that bid last fall, keeping the case in the county where Foppoli held office and where the accusations first became public. That ruling is a big part of why the proceedings carry the weight they do: the man who once ran a Sonoma County town will answer the claims in front of a Sonoma County jury.
Foppoli has not stayed quiet in the years since. He spent time in Italy, returned to the area, and has floated the idea of running for office again — even mentioning a possible 2026 mayoral bid in Windsor. That backdrop makes the trial as much a public-accountability moment as a legal one.
What to watch
The July case is one of three civil matters scheduled to go before juries. A separate lawsuit brought by reality-TV personality Farrah Abraham has been set for a Sonoma County jury trial this summer as well. Because Foppoli was never charged criminally, these trials are the closest thing to a public reckoning the accusations will get — decided not beyond a reasonable doubt, but by the lower civil standard of a preponderance of the evidence.
For the women who came forward in 2021, July is the day they’ve been chasing for five years. For Foppoli, it’s the chance to answer them in the open, in the county he used to run.
Frequently asked questions
Is this a criminal trial?
No. Foppoli was never criminally charged. This is a civil trial, where the plaintiffs must prove their claims by a preponderance of the evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt, and the remedy is money damages, not jail.
When does the trial start and how long will it last?
Jury proceedings are expected to begin the first full week of July 2026 in Sonoma County Superior Court, with testimony expected to run about six weeks.
How many cases are there?
Three civil cases against Foppoli are now headed for juries, including a separate suit filed by reality-TV personality Farrah Abraham set for trial this summer.