Fairfield Attorney, Matt Vaughn has been appointed as the Resident Judge of Wayne County, a position that became vacant following Judge Michael Molt’s retirement. The Illinois Supreme Court announced the appointment last Friday, with the oath of office scheduled to be administered by Supreme Court Justice David Overstreet on Thursdsay, February 20th at 3 PM in the upstairs courtroom of the Wayne County Courthouse.
Vaughn steps into this role after a period in which Wayne County lacked a Resident Judge since Judge Molt stepped down in August 2023 due to health issues. During his absence, various Second Circuit Judges, including White County Judge Denton Aud, have been managing Wayne County’s court responsibilities. The situation had caused challenges, particularly for law enforcement needing search warrants after hours, often requiring them to seek judicial signatures out of county.
A 1985 graduate of Fairfield Community High School, Vaughn earned his law degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has extensive experience in public defense, having served as Chief Public Defender for Jefferson County since 2020, and previously held the same position in Wayne County from 2009 to 2020. Vaughn also worked as a part-time Public Defender in White County and was in private practice at Vaughn Law Office in downtown Fairfield from 2003 to 2020.
In related news, Albion attorney Brian Shinkle was recently appointed as Edwards County Resident Judge, filling the vacancy left by the tragic murder of Judge Michael Valentine. Shinkle took the oath of office on Monday afternoon.
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