Judge recuses herself from Streator man’s Class X weapon case

A Streator man facing bank robbery and firearm charges still needs a lawyer – and Charles Spencer will need a new judge, too.

Spencer, 30, appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court for a detention hearing, which was postponed when Spencer indicated that he’s still seeking private counsel. La Salle County Circuit Judge Michelle A. Vescogni agreed to the continuance and ordered him to return May 15.

The May 15 hearing will be before another judge. Vescogni advised Spencer that her husband, Peru attorney Brian Vescogni, had previously represented Spencer in a still-pending matter and that she must recuse herself from the case.

Spencer’s still-pending case is on charges of armed robbery. He is awaiting trial for the July 7, 2022, holdup at Streator Community Credit Union.

More recently, Spencer was charged with a felony after police linked him to a gun while they were investigating the Easter Sunday shooting that killed a 17-year-old.

Although Spencer is not charged with murder, surveillance footage retrieved during the murder investigation showed him holding a semi-automatic pistol, police said. He subsequently was charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a repeat felony offender, a Class X felony carrying six to 30 years.