In the pile-on frenzy that has gripped local media outlets and bloggers over Judge Edward Nottingham’s reputed bad behavior recently, nobody probably has a better claim to the story than pro se litigant Sean Harrington and his website, KnowYourCourts.com.
Harrington was railing against the arrogance of Colorado’s federal courts, including Nottingham’s bully-boy demeanor, long before the revelations about strip-club visits, parking in a handicapped spot, allegedly having ex parte negotiations with hookers, etc. And it was Harrington who filed a complaint about Nottingham’s personal conduct that is now being investigated by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
So it’s not surprising that Harrington’s site has uncovered yet another little disturbing anecdote, purportedly from Nottingham’s early days on the federal bench. It involves a striking blonde, a note handed by the judge to the bailiff, a disappointing response--and an apparently punitive act by the judge that might have cost the plaintiff in a civil suit a hefty hunk of change. Most unusual of all, the whole story is attributed to a named source, a retired attorney who evidently has no fears about retribution. Read all about it here in the March 22 entry, “New details about Judge Nottingham emerge from interview with retired attorney,” and believe it or don’t. –- Alan Prendergast
