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Criminal Justice

People vs. Karen, Part 2: The False Accusation That Launched The #ProsecuteKatie Campaign

Sadie Martinez and Eddie Martinez stand for a portrait at Upper Noe Recreation Center in San Francisco on Oct. 8, 2023.
Sadie Martinez and Eddie Martinez stand for a portrait at Upper Noe Recreation Center in San Francisco on Oct. 8, 2023.
(
Pablo Unzueta
/
for LAist
)

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Topline:

In 2020, Sadie and Eddie Martinez were falsely accused of attempted kidnapping by a white woman while shopping at a Michaels craft store. Imperfect Paradise: People vs. Karen, is the story of how Sadie held her accuser accountable.

What's in Episode 2: Sadie Martinez launches her #ProsecuteKatie campaign, and a journey to the darker corners of the Internet to understand why Sadie's accuser, Katie Sorensen, may have made her false charge. After the Petaluma Police Department cleared their names, Sadie Martinez held a press conference to call for Katie Sorensen to be prosecuted for her false attempted kidnapping accusation.

Is Katie a "Karen?" : Many people online viewed Katie as a "Karen." Jessie Daniels, a professor at Hunter College, defines a "Karen" as "a white woman who uses her entitlement to call state power down on people of color. It's thinking of 911 as a kind of concierge service that is designed for our comfort."

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Or did Katie engage with conspiracy theories? According to the police, Sorensen was “in significant engagement with QAnon conspiracy theories which tend to center around kidnappers and pedophiles.”

Where can I listen: You can listen to Imperfect Paradise wherever you get your podcasts, or right here:

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