LASALLE COUNTY, Ill. — Margaret M. Buckley has been charged with aggravated arson with knowledge of people present, a Class X felony, in a case filed in LaSalle County Circuit Court on August 3, 2026. She was denied pretrial release the same day. The case is being prosecuted under case number 2026CF000341.
By Willow Moss | Moss and Ink | First published August 26, 2026, updated September 30, 2026
Case Status
- Current status: Indicted; court has ordered a forensic psychiatric evaluation of the defendant; October 5 jury trial canceled; review hearing set for November 18, 2026
- Next court date: Review hearing, November 18, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., following the court-ordered forensic evaluation; the previously scheduled October 5, 2026 jury trial has been marked canceled on the docket, and no new trial date has been set
- Charges: Aggravated Arson with Knowledge of People Present — Class X felony, 720 ILCS 5/20-1.1(a)(1)
- Custody status: Denied pretrial release; held at LaSalle County Jail
- Case number: 2026CF000341
- Court: LaSalle County Circuit Court
- Prosecution: Assistant State’s Attorneys Matt Kidder, Ryan J. Cantlin and Alison Kerestes
- Defense: Public Defender Ryan Hamer
- Presiding judge: Michelle A. Vescogni (initial detention hearing before Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr.)
- Last updated: September 30, 2026
Incident Summary
Margaret M. Buckley was charged in LaSalle County with aggravated arson with knowledge of people present, a Class X felony, in a case filed August 3, 2026. The publicly available court docket does not include a detailed narrative of the underlying incident, and as of publication, no law-enforcement press release or additional news coverage of this case could be located. This report will be updated if additional details become available.
Suspect Background
- Margaret M. Buckley
- Public court records do not list a hometown, age, or prior criminal history for Buckley at this time.
Arrest & Charges
- Case filed: August 3, 2026
- Fingerprint card filed: August 5, 2026
- Indicted: August 11, 2026
- Custody: Denied pretrial release; held at LaSalle County Jail
Case Timeline & Proceedings
August 3, 2026 — Filing and Initial Detention
The case was filed in LaSalle County Circuit Court on a charge of aggravated arson with knowledge of people present. The State’s petition to deny pretrial release was granted by Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr., and Buckley was ordered detained at the LaSalle County Jail.
August 5, 2026 — Fingerprint Card Filed
An arrest fingerprint card was filed with the court.
August 11, 2026 — Grand Jury Indictment
A LaSalle County grand jury returned an indictment on the aggravated arson charge.
August 13, 2026 — Arraignment
Buckley appeared before Judge Michelle A. Vescogni, was appointed Public Defender Ryan Hamer, and entered a plea of not guilty. A pretrial investigation report was also completed around this time.
September 15, 2026 — Forensic Evaluation Ordered
The defense filed a motion on September 11 asking the court to appoint a psychiatrist or psychologist to evaluate Buckley. Following a hearing on September 15, the court granted an order for a forensic psychiatric evaluation. The court also stated that it “does not find a Bona Fide doubt at this time,” referring to the legal standard for whether a defendant’s fitness to stand trial must be formally examined. A review hearing was set for November 18.
September 24, 2026 — Jury Pretrial Conference (Canceled)
The pretrial conference originally scheduled for this date was marked canceled on the court docket.
October 5, 2026 — Jury Trial (Canceled)
The jury trial originally scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on this date has been marked canceled on the court docket.
November 18, 2026 — Review Hearing Scheduled
A review hearing is scheduled for 9:00 a.m., set to follow up on the court-ordered forensic psychiatric evaluation. As of this update, the record does not reflect a new trial date.
How to Follow This Case
- LaSalle County Circuit Court case number: 2026CF000341, searchable via the LaSalle County Circuit Clerk online docket or public access terminal (www.lasallecountyil.gov/circuit-clerk).
- Next court date: review hearing November 18, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. No new trial date has been set.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available. All information is sourced from publicly available court filings and official case records; as of publication, no additional news coverage of this case could be located. Individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
—Willow Moss