Douglas County Court Judge, Grafton Biddle, 57, appointed by Gov. Owens just six months ago, has been fired for allegedly having a romantic relationship with Deputy D.A. Laurie Steinman, 29, who tries cases in his courtroom. Steinman has also been fired.

Biddle’s wife told The Denver Post on Thursday that he no longer lived at their Parker house.

There’s big consequences for such inappropriate conduct. If the allegations are true, I suspect both will face disciplinary action. It’s hard to think of anything that undermines public confidence in the judicial system as much as a prosecutor and judge in cahoots.