The state police captain who yesterday admitted prosecutors had enough to prove he was guilty of leading Saugus cops on a late-night chase could be back patrolling Bay State highways in days after a judge gave him a break, state police and prosecutors say.

A Lynn District Court judge continued motor vehicle charges against Capt. Thomas McCarthy without a finding, meaning if the 47-year-old superior officer keeps his nose clean for six months, the charges will be wiped from his record.

The ruling by Judge Albert Conlon went against the recommendations of Essex County prosecutors, who wanted a guilty finding on charges of failing to stop for police and negligent operation, a $100 fine and court-ordered alcohol screens, a spokeswoman for the Essex District Attorney’s Office said