For the first time in nearly four decades an associate judge in Champaign County has been ousted.
Judges on the 6th Circuit have voted not to retain Judge Richard Klaus.
Chief Judge Dan Flannell says the decision to terminate Klaus stemmed from the public and attorneys losing faith in him after a decade on the bench.
Flannell says the vote wasn't in response to any wrongdoing or ruling by Klaus, but he says the judges didn't feel that the confidence issue could be addressed by giving Klaus another four years.
Klaus was told about two weeks ago that he didn't have enough votes to be retained and has mostly been out of the office since then.
e says he's grateful for the opportunity he had to serve.