Former prosecutor, judge remembered as one of the best, in and out of the courtroom

ROCKFORD — "An effective direct examination should be like a well-oiled machine grinding the opponent into a fine dust."

The quote can be found in the Illinois Continuing Legal Education for direct examination in a chapter written by Dan Doyle, a former Winnebago County State's Attorney and later a circuit and an appellate court judge.

"How do I remember that quote? I used it," said Winnebago County Chief Judge John Lowry, who was hired fresh out of law school by Doyle to be an assistant state's attorney. "It was all about preparation, preparation, preparation. That's what he meant by that.

"He was an outstanding trial attorney and an even better man if you got to know him."

Judge Doyle died Aug. 3 after a battle with Alzheimer's Disease.

He was 84.

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The East Peoria High School graduate earned his bachelor's and law degree from the University of Illinois, and married his high school sweetheart, Kirby Johnson, on Aug. 29, 1959.

Before Doyle started his distinguished law career in the courtroom, he worked in the field for the FBI spending several years working in the South in the midst of the Civil Rights violence and meeting the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and J. Edgar Hoover.

In 1965, Doyle was hired by then Winnebago County State's Attorney William Nash to serve as an assistant state's attorney. He left for two years to work in private practice and returned when then State's Attorney Philip G. Reinhard hired him to head the Criminal Division.

"You wouldn't suspect that he was such a good trial lawyer because he was a very quiet and reserved person, but in the courtroom, he just loved to be in there and he had a little acting flair," Reinhard said.

Reinhard said he and Doyle remained friends for over 50 years.

"He thought like I did," Reinhard said. "When he worked as my chief of the criminal division and if an important decision had to be made and I wasn't there to make it, he could because he knew that the both of us thought alike."

Kirby, his wife of nearly 63 years, said the no-nonsense judge had a terrific sense of humor that was on full display when he participated in the "Legal Follies," a comedy show performed in downtown Rockford by local lawyers and judges.

"He always surprised everybody when he came on stage in a red-and-white checkered coat and a straw hat riding a tricycle before he went into song and dance," Kirby said.

"He also wrote the lyrics that he did for the show. He couldn't sing very well, but he could carry a tune to get his thoughts across."

Doyle also wrote a play called "Waste Mismanagement," a comedy about a woman accused of murdering her husband and putting him in the landfill. The play was performed at the Pecatonica Playhouse Theatre and sold out nine times.

Kirby said she and her husband enjoyed going to Broadway plays, traveling and vacationing over the winter in Florida.

She also said he was a good father to their two children, Hilary and Brian, but wished he could have spent more time with them.

"He was a dedicated professional and good trial lawyer. I think any man who is in a profession that's as demanding as that would feel the same way."

Premier Rockford-area defense attorney Dan Cain was a member of the State's Attorney Office in the 1970s when he worked for Doyle and years later would appear before him in court.

"Certainly, I appeared before him when he was a circuit judge, but my best recollections of him really are when he was prosecuting cases because I can tell you, he was far and away the best trial court prosecutor I ever saw," he said. "And you know over the years, I've saw a lot of good ones... . But Dan was the best.

"When he argued a case, he was so convincing. He could argue so effectively it would make the hair on your arm stand up. He certainly taught me a lot just by watching him."

Paul Logli was an assistant state's attorney fresh out of law school when he worked alongside Doyle in the county's criminal division. Logli, later went door-to-door handing out literature to help get Doyle elected as state's attorney.

Twelve years later, he would succeed Doyle as state's attorney.

"Not a temperamental or vain bone in his body," Logli said of his predecessor.

"He was just a really good lawyer, and he had this ability to look a lot younger than he was. He was very soft spoken and during trial he could really put some emotion into a cross examination or a final argument. At times he would surprise the jury because he had been so soft spoken throughout the trial."

Dan is survived by his wife Kirby, his daughter Hilary Hofstetter (Tom), his son Brian (Darla).

A celebration of life will take place between 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday at Olson Funeral Home, 2811 N. Main St.

Chris Green: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrtar.com; @chrisfgreen

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Winnebago County legal community mourns the loss of Dan Doyle