LIVINGSTON COUNTY, Mich. – A former Livingston County undersheriff has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge after he was arrested on suspicion of driving drunk, officials said.
Jeffrey Warder was arrested Oct. 26 when a Michigan State Police trooper pulled him over and noticed he looked intoxicated, according to authorities. The trooper said he could smell alcohol in the car.
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A breath test revealed Warder’s blood-alcohol content to be .123, and a blood test reflected a BAC of .133, according to police.
A special prosecutor was requested by Livingston County since Warder was undersheriff at the time of the arrest. Warder resigned in November.
Warder was initially facing misdemeanor charges of operating while intoxicated and open container of alcohol in a vehicle. Those charges were dropped in exchange for his guilty plea.
He pleaded guilty Monday morning (Jan. 31) to operating while visibly impaired, a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail, a $300 fine and/or 360 hours of community service and rehab programs, according to authorities.
“We must hold public servants accountable when they fall short of their oath,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “No one -- irrespective of their position -- is above the law.”
Warder was sentenced to fines and costs, officials said. The judge referenced Warder’s lack of a criminal record, the results of his substance abuse evaluation, his loss of employment and the fact that he had already enrolled himself in counseling.