Alderman David Richards, who recently pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge after a witness told police that he had exposed himself, resigned this weekend.

On Sunday, City of St. Charles officials received the resignation email from the former fifth-ward alderman.

The email stated that "after considerable evaluation," Richards would resign effective immediately, according to a press release from the city.

Earlier this month, Richards pleaded guilty to the citation in a DuPage County court. The charge stemmed from an incident in which the driver of a truck told West Chicago police that he saw Richards expose himself while driving in that city.

Last week, the St. Charles city attorney was asked to review whether Richards could be removed from office based on a state statute regarding elected officials convicted of a crime.

St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte wrote, in a prepared statement, that he felt Richards' decision to resign was the "proper decision" in a "difficult situation."

The mayor will now need to recommend an appointment to fill the vacant seat within 60 days, according to state statute. Therefore, the recommendation is required by Jan. 13, 2011 and after that, the city council has 30 days to act on the recommendation.