Jacksonville man sentenced to three years after daughter's injury

Joseph E. Wardell, 36, of Jacksonville, was sentenced Jan. 14 in Cass County court to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections after a Dec. 1 conviction for reckless conduct. Prosecutors said the charge stemmed from Wardell kicking his minor daughter, causing a transverse fracture of her femur. Wardell was acquitted on related aggravated-battery and aggravated-domestic-battery counts.

Under the sentence imposed, Wardell must serve at least half of the three-year term before becoming eligible for any early release from state custody. The case has drawn strong emotions in neighboring communities, and Cass County State’s Attorney Craig Miller acknowledged those reactions while affirming the justice system processes that produced the verdict and sentence.

For residents of Morgan County and Jacksonville, the case touches a number of practical concerns: the welfare of the injured child, the mechanisms by which local prosecutors and courts handle alleged family violence, and how cases from one county end up being tried and sentenced in another. Wardell’s Jacksonville residency situates the child and family within Morgan County even though sentencing occurred in Cass County, which can complicate follow-up services such as local victim support, counseling referrals, and child-protection oversight.

The injury described by prosecutors—a transverse fracture of the femur in a minor—carries significant medical and rehabilitative needs. That reality raises questions about coordination between medical providers, child welfare services, and local law enforcement as families navigate recovery, potential foster-care decisions, and court-ordered oversight. Community agencies and neighbors often shoulder much of the informal support after such cases, and local officials say they will be watching how post-sentencing supervision and services are carried out.

Legally, the outcome illustrates how charges can be pared down at trial: juries or judges may find the evidence sufficient for lesser counts such as reckless conduct while rejecting aggravated-battery charges. The three-year state sentence places Wardell in the Illinois Department of Corrections system, where custody conditions, programming, and release decisions will be governed by state policy and the terms set by the court.

The human side of this case is immediate: a child recovering from a serious leg fracture and a family grappling with the aftermath. Local agencies, schools, and health providers will likely be involved in ensuring the child’s physical recovery and emotional care in the months ahead.

The takeaway? Keep an eye on how local systems follow through—check in with schools and health providers for signs a child needs help, report suspected abuse to authorities, and support neighborhood resources that assist families recovering from violence. Our two cents? Community attention and practical help matter as much as the sentence handed down in court.