State Panel Rebukes O.C. Judge in DUI Case

An Orange County family court judge who pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge earlier this year was publicly admonished Tuesday by a state panel for breaching ethical standards and failing to report his conviction to the state Commission on Judicial Performance.

Judge Gary P. Ryan, a 20-year veteran of the bench, showed “gross disregard [for] the principles of personal and official conduct” and failed to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the judiciary, the panel concluded.

The panel also faulted Ryan for failing to comply with driving laws. Last year, Ryan was arrested after rear-ending a vehicle in Newport Beach. His blood alcohol level was later measured at double the legal limit.

“Judge Ryan’s unlawful action . . . brings the judicial office into disrepute,” the panel found.

The public admonishment is considered an intermediate form of discipline. The 10-member commission could have issued a public censure or removed Ryan from office. Three commission members voted for a less severe sanction.

The 57-year-old jurist, who is retiring this year, could not be reached for comment. Elected to office in 1979, Ryan served in Municipal Court for 16 years before becoming a Superior Court judge in 1995.

Last September, he rammed his 1999 Jeep Cherokee into a Ford Expedition near Jamboree Road and Pacific Coast Highway. No one was hurt in the late-night crash, which caused minor damage to both cars.

But police officers said they smelled alcohol on Ryan’s breath and ordered him to take a field sobriety test. They said the jurist was cooperative. Ryan’s blood alcohol level was measured at 0.17 percent.

In February, a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner sentenced Ryan to three years probation and ordered him to attend a first-offenders alcohol program. He was also ordered to perform 20 hours of community service.