A San Miguel County judge and the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline informed a disciplinary panel last week that new information about the judge’s health has come to light suggesting further proceedings may not be appropriate, and the judge will instead resign from the bench.

The Colorado Supreme Court suspended County Court Judge Sean K. Murphy on Oct. 27, while his disciplinary proceedings unfolded. The commission alleged his misconduct affected two dozen cases and forced some litigants to wait years for decisions. The documents made publicly available also included individual instances of bizarre behavior in Murphy’s virtual or physical courtroom.

“Since the filing of the complaint, the Commission has learned new information concerning significant health issues that Judge Murphy was experiencing,” wrote the commission and Murphy’s attorneys in a joint Dec. 31 request. “These health conditions persisted into the fall of 2025 and up to the filing of the complaint, and they limited and negatively affected Judge Murphy’s ability to engage with the Commission during its investigation.”

Pursuant to a 2024 amendment to the Colorado Constitution, a three-member panel consisting of a trial judge, a lawyer and a non-attorney is presiding over Murphy’s disciplinary proceedings. The motion requested that the panel instead return the case to the commission to “determine whether a disability proceeding or other resolution would be appropriate.”

“Had the Commission been aware of this (health) information, it may not have authorized the filing of this complaint in favor of a different course of action,” the motion continued.

In an email to Colorado Politics, Murphy’s attorneys declined to disclose the nature of Murphy’s health issues. They also declined to comment on how Murphy’s health was a factor in some of his alleged conduct, which included:

• Requiring lawyers and their clients to remain in court after hours, during a blizzard, for over 90 minutes

• Screaming at his clerk

• Appearing virtually for court with a half-naked man walking behind him “clearly visible to all people present”

The director of the discipline commission, Anne Mangiardi, also did not immediately respond to questions about how Murphy’s health condition related to those specific allegations.

Murphy has been a part-time county judge since 2020. He previously served as mayor and as a town councilmember in Telluride.

On June 25, Mangiardi sent a letter to Murphy regarding a complaint about his handling of a small claims case. The trial occurred over two days before Murphy in spring 2024. More than a year passed without Murphy issuing an order.

“The individual who filed this complaint raised additional concerns regarding your professionalism and diligence, stating that both hearings began late and that a dog was roaming the courtroom during trial,” Mangiardi wrote, adding that she could not verify the dog allegation from the audio of the trial.

On Sept. 18, Mangiardi sent another letter, stating that Murphy had never responded. Moreover, he had not issued an order in the small claims case and, problematically, the commission’s investigation had “uncovered serious concerns” about Murphy’s conduct.

The commission created a seven-page spreadsheet spanning approximately 25 cases with red flags. Most seriously, Murphy failed to rule for two years in a pair of cases. He lost the ability to impose consequences for defendants’ probation violations because of his inaction. Another judge had to step in to act when Murphy inexplicably ignored requests from probation officials.

“Judge Murphy’s persistent refusal to engage with the Commission on Judicial Discipline,” wrote special counsel Jeffrey M. Walsh in the commission’s complaint, suggested that “Murphy is grossly indifferent to his responsibilities as a judge and to the residents of his judicial district.”

The parties indicated in their latest motion that Murphy intends to resign, and that converting the case to a disability proceeding would not be “contrary to the public interest.”