Kane Co. sheriff's office presents case to fire lieutenant

Former Kane County jail chief Todd Exline should be fired for using his badge to try to avoid a DUI arrest and failing to be honest with his supervisor about the incident, lawyers for the sheriff's office argued Wednesday.

Exline, a 26-year department veteran from Aurora, also violated the department's code of conduct by neglecting his police duties and putting the department in a bad light, attorney Paul Krentz said at a hearing called by the sheriff's office's merit commission.

"When Exline calls (his supervisor, Cmdr. Patrick) Keaty, he says, 'I got pulled over for a traffic stop,' " Krentz said in his opening statement. "Exline was not absolutely honest with him. He didn't tell him he took field sobriety tests and failed. He didn't tell him he was handcuffed and taken into (police) custody."

Exline's defense challenged details of the June 29 DUI arrest and the field sobriety test, such as the precise location of the test. The traffic stop occurred near the Batavia-Geneva border, and Batavia, Geneva and Kane County sheriff's police all responded to the scene.

The three-member body will consider more testimony today and could reach a decision on whether to follow Sheriff Pat Perez's recommendation to terminate Exline's employment. Both Perez and Exline are scheduled to testify today.

Exline, 46, was charged with driving under the influence after the police stop in Geneva. He was later placed on paid administrative leave and then suspended without pay; he still retains the rank of lieutenant. His criminal case is pending.

Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Kelly Orland, a passenger in Exline's vehicle at the time, was suspended for a week for poor judgment, according to the state's attorney's office.

When asked to step out of his vehicle the night of his arrest, Exline told police at the scene that he was a cop, several witnesses testified.

"There was no reason for him to identify himself as an employee of the sheriff's department other than personal gain," said Lt. Patrick Gengler, who conducted the sheriff's department's internal investigation into the incident.