An Illinois circuit court judge was shot in front of his home earlier this week as his wife was arrested and charged with murder.
The body of Illinois Second Circuit Judge Michael J. Valentine was found shot to death outside Albion, Illinois, on November 5th during a medical examination.
According to Illinois State Police, the Edwards County Sheriff's Office was called to Valentine's home in the 1100 block of County Road 600 in Albion, Illinois, around 12:14 p.m. and made the disturbing discovery.
Valentine, 43, had served as a resident circuit judge since being elected Edwards County Circuit Judge in 2016 and was up for re-election in 2022.
Valentine served as the county's state's attorney for eight years before joining the court, according to his online obituary.
Valentine worked as an EMT in Chicago and was assigned to the Albion Fire Department.
He earned his law degree from Southern Illinois University and later became a member of the Illinois State Bar Association and the Illinois Judges Association.
Valentine's family remembered him as a “good and fair judge who helped many who he served,” and as a loving son and loving father.
He leaves behind a son and daughter, his parents and several relatives.
Valentine's wife, Megan S. Valentine, was charged with first-degree murder after his body was discovered.
She also received serious charges of felonious assault with a firearm, felonious discharge of a firearm, and felonious domestic assault.
Attorneys for the murder suspect, who made his first appearance in court on Nov. 8, decided to keep Megan Valentine in custody until her next court date, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m., according to court records reviewed by The Post. I didn't object.
She is being held at the White County Jail in Carmi, Illinois, 40 kilometers south of Albion.
Police have not released information or a motive for the shooting.
Judge Valentine was first elected in 2016 and will be re-elected in 2022.
Mr. Valentine previously served as the Edwards County State's Attorney.
Edwards County's resident circuit judge was remembered by his fellow judges in the Second Circuit as an “outstanding jurist” with a “devotion to public service.”
“On behalf of all the judges in the Second Circuit, we are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic passing of our colleague and friend, Edwards County Resident Judge Michael J. Valentine,” the court said. said.
“Judge Valentine was a distinguished jurist determined to pursue justice and whose compassion and actions earned him the trust and respect of those who came before him. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time.”
Michael Valentine is the latest legal scholar to be murdered this year.
In September in Letcher County, Kentucky Sheriff Sean Stein was arrested and charged with murdering District Judge Kevin Mullins after an argument inside the courthouse.
Stines, 43, is accused of killing Mullins, 54, in a Whitesville courthouse and leaving his office, where he worked as a jurist for 15 years, riddled with bullets.
A camera inside Mullins' office captured the shocking shooting.
Stiles' attorney argued that the shooting was not planned and that his client's charge should be reduced from murder to manslaughter.
“It wasn't planned, it just happened in the heat of passion,” Jeremy Bartley said. people.
