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Retired judge dies at 78
By Pantagraph staff
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NORMAL — A retired judge who spent 30 years presiding over McLean County courtrooms died at his home Saturday night.

Wayne Townley, 78, served two terms as McLean County state’s attorney starting in 1956 and served as a McLean County judge from 1962 to 1992. He served on numerous judicial committees during his career and was a member of numerous community associations in his retirement.

Ronald Dozier, who retired as a circuit judge late last year, described Townley as a no-nonsense judge who taught him to be prepared when in court. Dozier said he prosecuted cases in front of Townley after coming out of law school and was later a colleague after becoming a judge himself.

“He required high standards in his courtroom. He expected everyone to be prepared and conduct themselves appropriately, always be on time,” Dozier said.

In his later years, Townley was a member of the Young Men’s Club, where he and Dozier saw one another on Tuesdays, Dozier said. He said he and Townley liked and respected one another.

Dozier said Townley was strict about technicalities and wasn’t well-liked by all of the attorneys who came before him. But he was well respected, he said.

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Reader comments on this story - 3 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

too bad wrote on Aug 14, 2007 11:33 AM:

" too bad that there are so many judges today who don't hold defendants, attorneys and other court personnel to those standards. Have you seen the people who show up in court lately? defendants dress bad enough but there are attorneys who dress worse than most of the defendants. One of them even wears beach sandals into court, with crop pants to match. "

Niki Taylor wrote on Aug 14, 2007 10:16 AM:

" My prayers go out to his family. I had the pleasure of having him preside over a child support case for me in the 90's. He was, and has been this far, the only judge that asked questions, seem to really care, and actually produced results. Wish there were more like him. "

oh no wrote on Aug 13, 2007 10:26 PM:

" Mr. Townley was an asst. scoutmaster with troop 3 when i was in and presided over the adoption of my nephew in 1996. such a great man and family "
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