Rodney Murray did face a felony stalking charge in connection with accusations that he harassed Gina Ambrosecchia earlier this year. A judge on Wednesday, however, changed the charge to a misdemeanor.
Since December, Murray has been in and out of jail for violating protective orders and citations for driving while impaired. Last month, authorities arrested him in South Carolina after they say he violated terms of a prior release when he contacted Ambrosecchia.
Doctors have testified that Murray is addicted to her.
In court Wednesday, a judge changed the charge because Murray has no prior stalking convictions. Murray's bail was also reduced from $1.5 million to $200,000.
A trial date was also set for June.
A career firefighter with 25 years of service with the Chapel Hill Fire Department and a decade of service with the Carrboro Fire Department, Murray resigned as fire chief in early January after his first arrest on stalking charges. His resignation became effective March 1.
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