“This was a targeted attack against Judge (Andrew) Wilkinson,” Washington County Sheriff Brian Albert said. Pedro Argote - Washington County Sheriff's OfficeArgote did not attend the divorce hearing earlier Thursday at which Wilkinson granted child custody to Argote’s partner, Albert said. “Out of precautionary reasons, last night troopers were deployed to protect judges residing in Washington County,” Maryland State Police said Friday. “Judge Wilkinson was an exceptional judge and was a pillar in our community,” Parrott said in a statement. Judge Wilkinson served faithfully and will be severely missed.”CNN’s Michelle Watson, Amanda Jackson, Lindsay Knight and Miguel Marquez contributed to this report.

Source: CNN October 20, 2023 13:19 UTC