Local News in Brief : Drunk Driver Tells Links to Police Chief
A convicted drunk driver hired the son of the Claremont police chief before working out an arrangement to do remodeling work at the police station in lieu of going to jail, according to court testimony.
The drunk driver, John Donald Barber, testified in Pomona Municipal Court that he also briefly hired Police Chief Dexter Atkinson’s wife after he completed the six-month work program.
The hearing was held to determine if Barber, 43, a Claremont contractor, satisfactorily served a mandatory 120-day sentence for his third drunk-driving conviction. Municipal Judge Jack P. Hunt said he expects to reach a decision next week.
Atkinson, who did not testify at the hearing, has been on paid administrative leave since early August when City Manager Glenn Southard asked the district attorney to investigate whether the chief broke the law by letting Barber do community service rather than serve the time in jail.
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