A federal judge has fired Ronald Sims, the court-appointed receiver in the Jefferson County human resources department.

U.S. District Judge Lynwood Smith told attorneys Thursday that Vanzetta Penn McPherson, a retired judge appointed to investigate Sims, recently completed an investigation that included interviewing 29 witnesses that amounted to more than 2,600 pages of testimony. He said there were also up to 1,000 or more pages of evidence.

Smith appointed Sims as receiver in October, 2013 to bring the county into compliance with a 1982 consent decree.

Smith said he had read the report and about six or seven of the transcripts so far.

The judge said that he received a draft of McPherson's report and recommendation on Sunday. He said that recommendation would not change in its final form.

Smith did not say what was in the report, but based on the recommendations he met with Sims on Wednesday and "asked him to step down effective immediately."

Smith said a search for a new receiver would be held. He asked that all employees in the receivers' and personnel offices to remain in place while the search is underway.

The judge then asked attorneys on all sides to meet with him in his office to decide on an interim receiver. That meeting lasted until after 1 p.m. Thursday without any selection of an interim receiver.

"The court is working expeditiously to find an interim solution," said Rowan Wilson, attorney for the Martin-Bryant plaintiffs in the employment discrimination lawsuit against the county.

Wilson does not expect a decision this week.

Jefferson County commissioners in the audience said they did not know that Sims had been fired until the judge announced it from the bench. They also had not seen the report and recommendation.

"I applaud the judge for his candor and his swift actions upon receiving the report," Commission President Jimmie Stephens said. "We look forward to having a new receiver to resolve the consent decree and move the county forward."

Commissioner Joe Knight said he sees this as a way for the resolution of the issues in the case to move forward again.

"I think this gives us an opportunity to move off center," he said.

"We're hoping we will have someone who will work with us more," Knight said, referring to the communications between the county and the receiver.

County Manager Tony Petelos said "we're looking forward to continue working with the courts as we have in the past."

Updated at 1:40 p.m. with comments from plaintiff's attorney Rowan Wilson

Reporter Kent Faulk contributed to this report.