An Illinois judge’s wife has been charged with murder after he was shot to death in front of his home, authorities said.. The Illinois Second Judicial Circuit Judge Michael J. Valentine, 43, was found dead outside of his home on Nov. 5. His wife, Megan Valentine, 44, was taken into custody, according to Illinois State Police. After an investigation, the wife was charged with first-degree murder, among other weapon and battery charges. According to his obituary, the judge earned his law degree at Southern Illinois University, and was State’s Attorney in Edwards County, Illinois for eight years before becoming a judge. “He will be remembered as a good and fair judge, who helped many he served. Most of all, he was a loving son and a loving father,” his obituary read. Before becoming a lawyer, he was a Chicago EMT. In a statement, other judges of his court wrote that he “would be sorely missed.”
