Judge A No Show Today After Resignation Reports

U.S. District Chief Judge Edward Nottingham was not in court today amid reports that he is expected to resign from the bench after a new sex-related scandal.

Nottingham's scheduled cases today were handled by another judge. His courtroom clerk said he "is not here today; he's still ill." The judge is still listed on a calendar of cases set for next week, his secretary said, because "he's still chief judge. He's not resigned."

The court's top administrator, Clerk of the Court Greg Langham, told CBS4, "I'm assuming he and his attorneys are discussing what his status (on the court) is."

Nottingham, who had started a trial earlier on Tuesday, called in sick on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Rocky first reported Thursday that sources said Nottingham is expected to quit the federal bench amid the sex scandal and a closed-door judicial misconduct hearing that didn't go well.

Nottingham could not be reached for comment, and the clerk of the U.S. District Court for Colorado said earlier he had received no official letter of resignation.

"To my knowledge it does not exist," Langham said Thursday.

Nottingham's attorney did not return a phone call.

But three sources with knowledge of Nottingham's plans, and who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the resignation is expected this week.

Rocky Mountain News