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East St. Louis mayor rehires police chief who once quit

(via Flickr/davidsonscott15)

The law enforcement officer who resigned has East St. Louis' police chief in 2009 has his old job back.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports Michael Baxton was sworn in Wednesday in the southwestern Illinois city of about 30,000 residents.

It's been a rocky ride for Baxton. He was police chief in nearby Alorton in October when a state board barred him from law enforcement because of a 1982 robbery conviction.

But a St. Clair County judge this month ordered the board to recertify Baxton because the old conviction was wiped off the books in 1989. That means Baxton has no criminal record.

Baxton got a letter Tuesday from the state board recertifying him.

Baxton resigned as East St. Louis' police chief in 2009 after his performance was called into question.