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Associated Press - November 10, 2009 9:04 PM ET
VIRGINIA, Ill. (AP) - In Cass County, Circuit Judge Bob Hardwick Jr. has recused himself from presiding over the murder trial of a 74-year-old great-grandmother accused of shooting her granddaughter's estranged husband in the back of the head.
Attorneys for Shirley J. Skinner of Ashland filed a motion last week to substitute judges.
Skinner is charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 25, 2008 shooting death of 32-year-old Steven P. Watkins at her home.
Police say Watkins was shot after he arrived to pick up his 18-month-old daughter for a court-ordered visit. Watkins was scheduled to be in court the next day in a pending divorce case with his estranged wife, Jennifer, who is Skinner's granddaughter.
Skinner was arraigned last week and has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Information from: The State Journal-Register, http://www.sj-r.com
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