The Enotah Circuit chief judge, who drew a handgun in open court in Lumpkin County last week, is not hearing cases this week, according to a spokesman for the 9th District Court Administration.

That absence follows a report that Judge David Barrett, who was presiding over a bond hearing for former Hall County deputy Scott Sugarman, pulled out his gun and pretended to offer it to an uncooperative witness, according to witnesses.

Sugarman, who resigned as Hall County deputy earlier this month, is charged with rape and aggravated assault with a handgun. He has pleaded not guilty.

On Saturday, District Attorney Steve Langley told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Barrett seemed frustrated rather than threatening when he drew his gun Wednesday during a hearing in Lumpkin County Superior Court.

The witness was testifying that the deputy had abused her and one time had placed a gun to her head, Langley said, but she became uncooperative later in her testimony.

Barrett pretended to offer the pistol to a witness, telling the woman she was "killing her case," Langley said.

"It was totally inappropriate conduct for a courtroom," said Langley, who added he immediately approached the bench and told the judge to put the gun away. Barrett complied, he said, and the hearing continued.

Langley said the judge's actions had been reported to the state Judicial Qualifications Commission, which investigates judicial misconduct.

Barrett is the chief judge of the Enotah Judicial Circuit that includes Lumpkin, Towns, Union and White counties in North Georgia.

Steve Ferrell, the 9th District Court administrator, said on Tuesday that Barrett requested another chief judge take cases in his absence this week.

Ferrell said the request was "nothing unusual."

"That's how judges take vacation days," he said.

He added that here was nothing official to report about Barrett's status in taking future cases.

The courtroom events last week have left questions about how the Sugarman case will proceed.

A hearing for the case was scheduled for Friday. However, Sugarman's attorney, Dan Summer, said he did not know yet if the hearing would still take place.

District Attorney Jeff Langley said he had "nothing new to report" about whether the hearing would be rescheduled.