Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Page 4
Judge Faces Inquiry Over Parking-Lot Spat
By a MetNews Staff Writer
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RYAN D. NELSON Ninth Circuit judge |
Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Ryan D. Nelson is facing a disciplinary probe based on an incident in a parking lot involving the jurist snatching the sunglasses of a man and stomping on them, resulting in misdemeanor charges of battery and malicious injury to property.
Nelson pled not guilty on May 13 to the charges which stem from a tiff that occurred on April 2 in Idaho over a parking spot. Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia said in Monday’s order announcing the inquiry that information on the incident was “only very recently received.”
She cited news reports as the source of that information, along with her own “limited inquiry of currently available information.”
Explains Public Announcement
The chief judge that said a public announcement is being made pursuant to Rule 5 of the Rules for Judicial-Conduct and Judicial-Disability Proceedings, noting:
“When incidents of alleged misconduct have been reported in an accredited media publication, we have identified a complaint in a similar Rule 5 order and initiated an inquiry.”
She said the public disclosure is “in the interest of the effective and expeditious administration of the business of the courts,” advising:
“All subsequent misconduct proceedings will be confidential….”
The parking-lot confrontation was captured on videotape.
Attorney Quoted
The Idaho State Journal on Friday quoted Nelson’s lawyer, Curtis Smith, as saying:
“Mr. Nelson maintains a presumption of innocence. We will work through the judicial system to resolve these personal charges which allegedly resulted in a pair of broken sunglasses and are unrelated to his professional position.”
EastIdahoNews.com. quoted Smith as saying that “[t]his conduct isn’t representative of who Ryan is.”
Murguia will conduct an initial investigation and, if she views further action warranted, would refer the matter to a three-judge panel to conduct proceedings. Proceedings of that nature can potentially result in a suggestion to the judge of a voluntary retirement or reference of the matter to the House of Representatives for possible impeachment proceedings, though such drastic action appears unlikely in response to a minor skirmish.
Nelson, 52, assumed office on Oct. 18, 2018. He was appointed by President Donald Trump.
At the time of his nomination, he was general counsel of Melaleuca, Inc. He had previously served as a deputy assistant attorney general, deputy general counsel for the Office of Management and Budget, and special counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
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