POLK COUNTY, Wis. (WTAQ) - Folks in Polk County are mourning the death of a long-time judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney in a freak accident.

59-year-old John Schneider of rural Balsam Lake died on Monday, after a wall fell on top of him while he was working in a garage on his property. Relatives said he was removing metal sheeting at the time. The building had received storm damage, and Schneider was apparently planning to tear it down.

He was an assistant district attorney in Polk County, and became the DA in 1979. He spent one year as a Polk County circuit judge in 1983. After that, he served as a private lawyer.

State Assembly Democrat Ann Hraychuck of Balsam Lake said Schneider was highly respected, partially because he always looked for the good in people. Chief sheriff’s deputy Steve Moe called Schneider a “Balsam Lake landmark.”