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Supreme Court Revokes Former Tazewell Public Guardian's Law License

A gavel rests on a judge's bench in a blurry courtroom. The text "WCBU Courts" sits on top of that photo.

The former Tazewell County public guardian's law license is suspended after a state regulatory authority determined he misused funds in that role for his own personal benefit.
The Illinois Supreme Court suspended the law license of Pekin attorney Matthew Stropes, 61, last week.

In his role defending people with disabilities who had no one else to represent them, the ARDC determined Stropes illegally steered more than $30,000 from the bank accounts of three clients to his own.

Stropes was the public defender for Tazewell County from 2009 to 2019.

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Tim was the News Director at WCBU Peoria Public Radio. He left the station in 2025.