People v. Ryan.
No. 26PDJ35. 9/22/2026. Stipulation to Discipline.
October 5, 2026
The Presiding Disciplinary Judge approved the parties’ stipulation to discipline and suspended Christian David Ryan (attorney registration number 55541) for one year and one day, all stayed upon Ryan’s successful completion of a two-year period of probation, with conditions. Ryan’s suspension took effect on October 27, 2026.
In 2025, Ryan was employed at the 11th Judicial District Attorney’s Office and prosecuted a defendant charged with felony sex offenses. During the proceeding, Ryan heard a rumor that the victim had a relationship with a law enforcement officer involved in the criminal investigation. In August 2025—several months after he learned of the rumor—Ryan directed an investigator with the district attorney’s office to investigate the matter. The investigator documented his findings in a report dated August 14, 2025. The report included discussion of an interview with the victim’s mother, who stated that the relationship between the victim and the officer started the day after the officer took the victim’s report; that the officer threatened to report the victim for child neglect; and that the officer paid the victim money through a payment app.
Ryan did not review the report before the defendant’s sentencing hearing on August 18, 2025, nor did he disclose the existence of the report before or during the hearing; instead, Ryan represented at the hearing that all discovery in the case had been produced. After Ryan discussed the matter with his supervisor on August 20, 2025, the district attorney’s office disclosed the report to the defense and walled Ryan off the case.
Through this conduct, Ryan violated Colo. RPC 1.3 (a lawyer must act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client); Colo. RPC 3.8(d) (a prosecutor must timely disclose evidence or information tending to negate the guilt of the accused or mitigate the offense); and Colo. RPC 8.4(c) (it is professional misconduct to engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation).