Trumpy Judge Facing Criminal Charges Over Parking Lot Tantrum

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A federal judge nominated by President Donald Trump is facing criminal charges for allegedly swiping a man’s glasses off his face, hurling them across an asphalt parking lot, and stomping on them as the two argued over a parking spot in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

The same “judge” is still hearing cases two months after the early April confrontation.

Judge Ryan D. Nelson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, who was born and is serving in Idaho Falls, has been charged with misdemeanor battery and malicious injury to property by the Idaho Falls city prosecutor’s office, according to https://aboutblaw.com/blXA" rel="" target="_self" title="https://aboutblaw.com/blXA">court records.

Nelson pleaded not guilty to charges last month and is headed back to court for a pre-trial hearing in mid-June.

The dispute erupted when the judge reportedly became aggressive after he parked his truck across two spaces, according to the https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/police-idaho-falls-federal-judge-knocked-off-mans-glasses-hurled-them-across-parking-lot-and/article_34af4bc1-ea69-45e3-98b7-ed2db432639a.html" rel="" target="_self" title="https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/crimes_court/police-idaho-falls-federal-judge-knocked-off-mans-glasses-hurled-them-across-parking-lot-and/article_34af4bc1-ea69-45e3-98b7-ed2db432639a.html">Idaho State Journal, which broke the story and https://reason.com/volokh/2026/06/06/judge-ryan-nelson-9th-cir-arrested-for-allegedly-knocking-off-mans-glasses-in-parking-space-dispute/" rel="" target="_self" title="https://reason.com/volokh/2026/06/06/judge-ryan-nelson-9th-cir-arrested-for-allegedly-knocking-off-mans-glasses-in-parking-space-dispute/">obtained video of the confrontation.

The alleged victim said the confrontation was triggered as he told the judge—twice—as Nelson was backing his truck out of the double space: “‘Learn how to park.’ That’s when he went crazy.” Nelson was https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ninth-circuit-judge-nelson-charged-with-misdemeanor-battery" rel="" target="_self" title="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ninth-circuit-judge-nelson-charged-with-misdemeanor-battery">nominated to the powerful court in 2018 by Trump, and was confirmed the same year.

The Daily Beast has reached out to his attorney for comment.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/ninth-circuit-judge-nelson-charged-with-misdemeanor-battery">Read it at Bloomberg Law

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumpy-judge-ryan-d-nelson-facing-criminal-charges-over-parking-lot-tantrum/">Read more at The Daily Beast.