Judge who avoided DUI charges will retire

EVERETT — A Snohomish County District Court judge who raised public ire for avoiding charges after a drunken-driving arrest last summer has announced plans to retire at the end of the year.

Judge Timothy Ryan sent brief letters notifying the County Council and County Executive Aaron Reardon that he plans to step down Dec. 31.

“It has been an honor and a privilege serving Snohomish County as a District Court Judge,” Ryan wrote in the letter, delivered to county officials Monday.

Ryan, 65, has served on the district court bench in south Snohomish County for two decades.

Before his arrest, Ryan had made it known that he was interested in retiring. Some local attorneys already had started sounding out potential supporters, should they run for the position.

Ryan won re-election to a four-year term in 2010, when he ran unopposed for the nonpartisan seat.

It’s up to the County Council to pick a replacement to serve out the two years remaining on the judge’s term. The council is looking to select an expert panel to help recommend finalists for the job, said Kathryn Bratcher, clerk of the council.

Ryan’s arrest for investigation of drunken driving came on Aug. 29, near his home in the Mill Creek area. Two Washington State Patrol troopers reported that he had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. They both believed he was driving while impaired.

The arresting trooper, who recognized Ryan, said the judge’s speech sounded “obviously different” from in the courtroom.

Ryan declined to participate in roadside sobriety tests or to undergo a breath test to gauge the level of alcohol in his blood.

The case was transferred to King County to avoid a conflict of interest for local prosecutors and judges.

After reviewing evidence, King County senior deputy prosecutor Erin Norgaard declined to file charges against Ryan, but noted that the judge apparently lied about his alcohol consumption on the night of the arrest.

A major factor in Norgaard’s decision was that Roger Fisher, another district court judge, was expected to testify that Ryan wasn’t impaired. The two friends had been at a restaurant until a few minutes before the traffic stop.

Ryan told the arresting trooper he “had a beer” with Fisher. That conflicted with Fisher’s account that Ryan drank two glasses of wine during a three-hour meal.

Ryan was recovering from hip surgery at the time of the traffic stop, and he likely would be able to offer that explanation for not submitting to roadside sobriety tests, the prosecutor wrote. His refusal to submit to a blood-alcohol test could be offered as consciousness of guilt, but that wouldn’t overcome Fisher’s testimony about Ryan being unaffected by alcohol consumption that evening, Norgaard wrote.

A toxicologist likely would testify that Ryan’s body would have sufficiently metabolized two glasses of wine during a three-hour period to be well below the level of impairment, the prosecutor wrote.

The case provoked outrage among many in the community and inspired debate about how drunken-driving cases are handled after arrest.

Ryan was on sick leave for much of the past few months because of health issues, including problems with his hip following surgery.

He returned to the bench Nov. 13 and has been presiding over hearings, Everett District Court Judge Tam Bui said last week.

He’s expected to remain on the bench, hearing cases until the end of the year.

Ryan faces a mandatory one-year license suspension stemming from his refusal to take a breath test after the stop. It’s set to begin Dec. 27.

The judge canceled a license-suspension hearing scheduled last week with the state Department of Licensing. Instead, Ryan told the state he plans to apply for an ignition interlock device, which would force him to take a breath test before his vehicle could start. That’s a license-restricting option allowed under state law. If he qualifies, he’ll have to pay for the costs related to monitoring his sobriety behind the wheel.

Diana Hefley contributed to this report. Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Everett postal workers gather for a portrait to advertise the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County letter carriers prepare for food drive this Saturday

The largest single-day food drive in the country comes at an uncertain time for federal food bank funding.

Everett
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor

It would require apprentices to work 15% of the total labor hours for construction or renovation on most city projects over $1 million.

Snohomish County prosecutor Kara Van Slyck delivers closing statement during the trial of Christian Sayre at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Thursday, May 8, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Jury deliberations begin in the fourth trial of former Everett bar owner

Jury members deliberated for about 2 hours before Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Millie Judge sent them home until Monday.

Christian Sayre sits in the courtroom before the start of jury selection on Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Christian Sayre timeline

FEBRUARY 2020 A woman reports a sexual assault by Sayre. Her sexual… Continue reading

Helion's 6th fusion prototype, Trenta, on display on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Helion celebrates smoother path to fusion energy site approval

Helion CEO applauds legislation signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson expected to streamline site selection process.

Everett Historic Theater owner Curtis Shriner inside the theater on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Historic Everett Theatre sale on horizon, future uncertain

With expected new ownership, events for July and August will be canceled. The schedule for the fall and beyond is unclear.

A “SAVE WETLANDS” poster is visible under an seat during a public hearing about Critical Area Regulations Update on ordinance 24-097 on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Council passes controversial critical habitat ordinance

People testified for nearly two hours, with most speaking in opposition to the new Critical Areas Regulation.

An apartment building under construction in Olympia, Washington in January 2025. (Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard)
Next stop for Washington housing: More construction near transit

Noticed apartment buildings cropping up next to bus and light rail stations?… Continue reading

Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero / Washington State Standard
Lt Gov. Denny Heck presiding over the Senate floor on April 27.
Washington tries to maintain B.C. ties amid Trump era tensions

Lt. Gov. Denny Heck and others traveled to Victoria to set up an interparliamentary exchange with British Columbia, and make clear they’re not aligned with the president’s policies or rhetoric.

Marysville
Marysville talks middle housing at open house

City planning staff say they want a ‘soft landing’ to limit the impacts of new state housing laws. But they don’t expect their approach to slow development.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.