The 6th Circuit judges fired Associate Judge Richard Klaus on Wednesday afternoon. It’s not an unprecedented move, but it is highly unusual — it’s the first time in almost 40 years that this has happened in Champaign County.
According to the News-Gazette, Klaus lost the confidence of the public and the lawyers who worked with him in the courtroom. Nine of 14 judges had to vote to retain him in a secret ballot.
Maybe most telling is how he was rated by the Illinois State Bar Association:
A poll conducted in April by the Illinois State Bar Association evaluating the associate judges slammed Klaus. Of all the associates in the six-county circuit, he received the lowest marks in the areas of sensitivity, temperament, impartiality, integrity and the “meets requirements of office” category.
The timetable for replacing Klaus is dependent on whether or not he resigns before his term is up.