Kane Co. officer defends himself
A teary-eyed Todd Exline took the stand Thursday, pleading to keep his job with the Kane County sheriff's office in the face of misconduct charges.
Exline, the former Kane County jail chief, said he did not lie to his supervisor when he called to report getting stopped by Batavia and Geneva police June 29.
"Throughout the whole investigation, when I was asked a question, I answered it truthfully," Exline told the sheriff's office's merit commission.
But he did admit leaving out important details -- including how he took a field sobriety test and was handcuffed and taken to the Geneva Police Department's lockup -- when he called Cmdr. Patrick Keaty. Exline said he didn't tell Keaty the whole story because he didn't know if he had been arrested; he was released by Geneva police that night. Charges were filed days later.
"After 25 years as a corrections officer, with all the training you had, you don't know whether you were arrested or not?" asked Patrick Kinnally, an attorney representing the sheriff's office.
"Correct," Exline replied.
Exline claimed Sheriff Pat Perez, who has recommended the merit commission terminate Exline's employment, has been out to get him since taking over the department in late 2006.
Perez, who demoted Exline after being elected sheriff, said he didn't have anything against Exline personally, but added that the 26-year department veteran's DUI arrest was the latest in a string of poor choices made by Exline that reflected negatively on the department. That includes a suspension Exline served in 2005 after sexually harassing a female sheriff's office employee, Perez said.
"Obviously nothing was learned," Perez said. "The entire way through this, there has been a defiant stance taken by Mr. Exline."
Attorneys representing both sides -- Perez and Exline -- wrapped up their case Thursday. The three-member merit commission will determine Exline's fate by considering whether he used his badge to try to avoid arrest, failed to be honest with his supervisor about the incident, neglected his police duties and put the department in a bad light -- all violations of the department's code of conduct. A decision is expected in March.
Exline, a 47-year-old Aurora resident, estimates he's lost about $20,000 in salary and an undetermined amount of money from his pension since being suspended without pay for the incident. His DUI case is pending in criminal court.
After being asked to step out of his vehicle the night of his arrest, Exline said he told police at the scene that he was a cop out of courtesy to them, not to seek special treatment.
"I told them as a courtesy," Exline said. "To put them at ease (that) I'm not the bad guy. … I'm not going to punch you and kick you."
Kane County Assistant State's Attorney Kelly Orland, a woman described by Kinnally as the married Exline's "girlfriend," was a passenger in Exline's vehicle when he was stopped. She was suspended for a week for poor judgment, according to the state's attorney's office.