Overview
- Judge Ryan D. Nelson was charged on April 22 with misdemeanor battery and malicious injury to property over an April 2 parking-lot dispute in Idaho Falls that local footage appears to show ended with someone’s glasses being knocked off, thrown and stomped on.
- Nelson pleaded not guilty on May 13 and is due at a pretrial conference scheduled for June 18 as the criminal case proceeds in city court.
- Surveillance video and a police affidavit published by local outlets record the encounter and note that an officer wrote Nelson admitted knocking the glasses from the man’s head and stomping on them while denying he physically touched the man.
- Fix the Court filed a complaint under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act and the Ninth Circuit’s chief judge may identify or open an inquiry that can lead to a limited review or appointment of a special committee if key facts are disputed.
- The matter raises questions about judicial accountability and transparency because Nelson continues to hear cases while criminal and disciplinary processes move forward, and the outcome could affect public trust in how the federal judiciary handles off-bench misconduct.