An Illinois circuit court docket decide was gunned down exterior his house earlier this week as his spouse was arrested and charged along with his homicide.
The physique of Illinois Second Judicial Circuit Courtroom Decide Michael J. Valentine was found fatally shot exterior of his Albion, Illinois throughout a wellness verify on Nov. 5.
The Edwards County Sheriff’s Workplace had been referred to as to the Valentine’s house on the 1100 block of County Street 600 in Albion, Ailing. at round 12:14 p.m. once they made the disturbing discover, the Illinois State Police mentioned.
Valentine, 43, had been the resident circuit decide for Edwards County since he was elected to the place in 2016. He was reelected in 2022.
Earlier than his time on the bench, Valentine served because the county’s State’s Lawyer for eight years, in keeping with his on-line obituary.
Valentine had served as a Chicago EMT and was part of the Albion Hearth Division.
He earned his legislation diploma from Southern Illinois College earlier than changing into a member of the Illinois State Bar Affiliation and the Illinois Judges Affiliation.
Valentine’s household remembered him as a “good and honest decide, who helped many he served” and as loving son and a loving father.
He leaves behind his son and daughter, his dad and mom, and a number of other family members.
Valentine’s spouse, Megan S. Valentine was charged with first-degree homicide following the invention of his physique.
She was additionally slapped with aggravated battery with a firearm, aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated home battery.
In her first court docket look on Nov. 8, the suspected killer’s protection lawyer didn’t object to Megan Valentine remaining in custody till her subsequent court docket date on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m., in keeping with court docket data considered by The Put up.
She is being held on the White County Jail in Carmi, Ailing. 25 miles south of Albion.
Police didn’t reveal any info or motive that led to the deadly taking pictures.
Decide Valentine was first elected to his submit in 2016 and was re-elected in 2022.
Valentine beforehand served because the Edwards County State’s Lawyer.
The resident circuit decide of Edwards County was remembered by his fellow Second Circuit judges as a “distinguished jurist” with a “dedication to public service.”
“On behalf of the entire judges of the Second Judicial Circuit, we’re shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our colleague and good friend, Edwards County Resident Decide Michael J. Valentine,” the court docket system mentioned.
“Decide Valentine was a distinguished jurist who was decided within the pursuit of justice and his compassion and conduct earned him the arrogance and respect of the individuals who appeared earlier than him. He might be sorely missed. Our ideas and prayers are along with his household at this troublesome time.”
Michael Valentine is the newest jurist to be killed this yr.
In Sept. Letcher County, Kentucky Sheriff Shawn Stines was arrested and charged with killing District Decide Kevin Mullins after a dispute contained in the courthouse.
Stines, 43, is accused of killing the 54-year-old Mullins at his Whitesville courthouse, leaving the jurist riddled with bullets within the workplace the place he’d served for 15 years.
A digital camera inside Mullins’ workplace captured the surprising taking pictures.
Stiles’ protection lawyer claimed the deadly taking pictures wasn’t deliberate and his shopper’s expenses needs to be lowered from homicide to manslaughter.
“It was not one thing that was deliberate and occurred within the warmth of ardour,” Jeremy Bartley advised Folks.
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