BOULDER

Attorney fails to appear in court for Ramsey case

The New York attorney for John and Patsy Ramsey's former housekeeper, who is seeking to revive a libel lawsuit against the couple, failed to appear in court Wednesday.

Darnay Hoffman was scheduled to appear before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to argue the case involving Linda Hoffmann-Pugh, whose case against the Ramseys had been dismissed by a lower court.

Hoffman apparently left a message with a court clerk saying he couldn't get a flight to Atlanta on time, said the Ramsey's attorney, L. Lin Wood.

Wood said the case could now be decided very quickly, perhaps before the weekend.

Hoffman said earlier this week that he had planned to argue that John and Patsy Ramsey clearly identified Hoffmann-Pugh as a suspect in their daughter's death in the couple's 2000 book "The Death of Innocence."

"It's a frivolous case," Wood said.

Camera Staff Writer Pam Regensberg contributed to this report.