Judge under scrutiny
Allegations raised involving escort service
Rocky Mountain News
Saturday, March 8, 2008

Chief federal Judge Edward W. Nottingham, who admitted to indiscretions at a downtown topless club, also may have been a client of a high-priced escort service, according to a television news report.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit is investigating Nottingham for judicial misconduct, according to 9News.

The judge allegedly was a customer of Denver Players, also known as Denver Sugar, which operated out of a four-bedroom home in the Commerce Park neighborhood and was raided and closed by Internal Revenue Service agents and Denver police in January, 9News reported.

Nottingham was the judge in the insider-trading trial of former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio, who was found guilty last April of 19 counts of illegally selling stock in April and May of 2001.

Nacchio's appeal of the guilty verdict was heard in December by a three-judge panel in the 10th Circuit, which has not said when it will rule.

John Holcomb, a University of Denver professor who watched most of the Nacchio trial, said that the allegations against Nottingham are "an ethical issue that should not affect (the appeal) in this case, but it's an ugly background."

Federal and local authorities spent more than a year investigating Denver Players at 1675 Fillmore St., according to federal affidavits that were unsealed last month.

A man identified as a chauffeur told 9News that he was responsible for driving prostitutes to meet their clients, including Nottingham.

Nottingham, who could not be reached for comment Friday, has acknowledged that he twice visited the Diamond Cabaret in downtown Denver.

Nottingham has said that his visits to the strip club were "private and personal matters involving human frailties and foibles."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/mar/08/report-judge-under-scrutiny/