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Police chief gets probation

BLOOMFIELD HILLS (AP) — A suburban Detroit police chief has been sentenced to one year of probation and 30 days of community service after pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge.

Lake Angelus Police Chief Michael Farley was also ordered Monday by an Oakland County judge to pay more than $1,500 in fines and fees after he pleaded guilty to one count of operating a vehicle while impaired.

Farley, 62, must consume no alcohol for the next year, during which time he must submit to random tests for alcohol as part of his probation. His driver’s license will also be restricted for 90 days, during which he will only be permitted to drive for work or as directed by the court for tests.

Farley was arrested on Nov. 30 in Keego Harbor after police received a report of a possibly intoxicated driver in a red truck. He smelled of intoxicants, wasn’t wearing a seat belt and was slurring his words before he was arrested, according to a police report. Farley’s blood-alcohol level was 0.15, nearly double the 0.08 at which a motorist is considered drunk under Michigan law.

Farley’s defense attorney, Jose Fanego, said his client “has no prior drinking and driving incidents and no prior criminal history” in his 40 years as a police officer.

Farley, who remains on the payroll as Lake Angelus’ police chief, issued a public statement after his arrest saying that he intended to take full responsibility for his actions.

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