Maple Ridge Township Supervisor John Male, 73, was sentenced Thursday in Alpena’s 88th District Court to six months of probation after a case involving an alcohol-impaired golf-cart ride on public property, a public disturbance and trespassing.
Male pleaded guilty to the charges on Aug. 20. Under the plea agreement, operating while visibly impaired by liquor was added, while charges of operating while intoxicated, possessing open intoxicants in a vehicle and a second trespassing count were dismissed.
Sentence includes probation, fines and testing
Judge Alan Curtis sentenced Male to six months of probation on the impaired-operation charge, with the possibility of early termination after three months. Male also was ordered to pay a $250 fine, along with other costs and fees, for that charge.
The court imposed additional penalties for the other offenses: an $850 fine, plus costs and fees, for being a disorderly person, and a $100 fine, plus costs and fees, for trespassing.
While on probation, Male will be subject to alcohol and drug testing on demand. He cannot consume alcohol or illicit drugs and must stay out of bars.
Incident involved golf cart and property dispute
The incident occurred Aug. 23, 2025, when Male drove a golf cart under the influence on public property. The source report said his ability to operate the vehicle was visibly impaired because of alcohol consumption.
Male also agreed that he was a disorderly person, meaning he was not behaving normally because he had consumed alcohol. His property is next to his son’s property, and Male crossed onto his son’s private property during the incident without permission.
The sentencing also brought a separate dispute over a driveway into the courtroom. Male said the driveway was his and was not shared. He told the court he had previously contacted police about his son using it, but officers told him he needed to prove he owned the land.
“Probably the most telling thing in the report is (Male) said, 'look I could have handled this better, I handled it badly,' and he's right about that,”
Defense attorney Dave Funk made that statement while asking Curtis to follow the sentencing recommendation. Male later told the judge that his son had a separate driveway and complained about what he described as unequal treatment over access.
Curtis advised Male to discuss the driveway issue with his attorney. Funk said he had property descriptions and a reported easement that he had provided to Alpena County Chief Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Nancy Ward and that he expected to be able to advise Male.
Ward did not respond before sentencing. The case was reported by The Alpena News on Oct. 8, 2026.