A slain Maryland choose is being remembered as an individual who practiced his Catholic religion in “a really modest and unassuming method,” in line with his pastor.
Decide Andrew F. Wilkinson of the Maryland Circuit Court docket for Washington County was fatally shot Oct. 19 within the driveway of his residence in Hagerstown.
Earlier within the day, the 52-year-old Wilkinson had presided over a divorce case involving suspect Pedro Argote, who stays at massive.
At St. Ann Roman Catholic Church in Hagerstown, Wilkinson was considered “very reliable and hard-working,” pastor Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe informed OSV Information Oct. 23. “He loved a really wonderful repute professionally together with his friends.”
In an Oct. 19 ruling, Wilkinson had awarded sole custody of Argote’s 4 kids, ranging in age from 3 to 12, to Argote’s estranged spouse. He additionally ordered Argote — who had initiated the divorce proceedings — to don’t have any contact with the kids, and to pay $1,120 in month-to-month little one help.
The ruling is believed to be Argote’s motive for the assault, in line with Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert.
In a March 2023 opinion, Wilkinson had written that Argote appeared to “(interact) in absolute management over (his spouse), their funds, and their lives,” which was “not in the perfect pursuits of the kids.”
Law enforcement officials had “responded to the residence for verbal home assaults two occasions inside the previous couple of years,” in line with Albert.
Monsignor Jarboe stated that those that have spoken to him about Wilkinson “have had nothing however very constructive and admirable issues to say about his character.”
Born in Guam, Wilkinson studied economics on the College of North Carolina and accomplished his regulation diploma at Emory College Faculty of Regulation. He was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1997 and joined the Maryland Circuit Court docket for Washington County in January 2020.
Wilkinson was concerned in quite a few charitable and civic outreaches, together with service with Meals Sources Inc.; the Hagerstown YMCA; the Rotary Membership; and the Meeting Membership of Hagerstown. He additionally was a youth soccer and baseball coach.
“Only a very fantastic man and household man and man of religion,” Monsignor Jarboe stated.
Funeral preparations for Wilkinson are nonetheless being finalized, he stated.
Within the meantime, “we depend on a power that’s larger than our personal,” Monsignor Jarboe stated. “We depend on the facility of God and the facility of the risen Jesus and the Holy Spirit that dwells inside and amongst us. … We stay assured that the facility of God will help us by way of this.”
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