Appellate Judge Soars From Trauma to Triumph

Judge Michael John Ryan of the Eighth District Court of Appeals has been preparing all his professional life for the opportunity to sit on the Supreme Court of Ohio. Many who grew up like Judge Ryan might find themselves seated on the other side of the bench, yet his unrivaled work ethic allowed him to beat the odds.

Pinnacle Moment 
Judge Ryan heard the case of State of Ohio v. [T.W.C.], Case. No. 2024-0265. The case examined whether “final discharge” of a sentence before requesting the sealing of a criminal record requires restitution be paid. 

Judge Ryan sat for Justice Brunner, who recused herself from the case. The Ohio Constitution gives the chief justice authority to assign an appellate judge to hear a Supreme Court case when a justice recuses himself.

“I was honored and in awe of the fact I received this chance, especially because of where I came from,” he said. “No one could have envisioned that this kid who has been through so much instability and experienced so much trauma would one day be sitting on the Ohio Supreme Court.”  

Early Turbulence  
Judge Ryan was born to a 15-year-old mother and a father who was serving prison time for robbing a bank. He was raised in a home where he was exposed to drug addiction and violence at an early age.

His mother met his stepfather while she was pregnant. Their relationship was plagued by domestic abuse toward his mother that extended to Judge Ryan and his younger sister. They grew up neglected, underfed, and bound by fear of abuse and home insecurity for most of their childhood.

When he was 13 years old, Judge Ryan’s mother tragically died from a drug-related illness, leaving the children in the care of his stepfather’s mother. One year later, the woman he knew as his grandma died unexpectedly. Judge Ryan and his sister bounced between relatives and school districts until landing with his maternal grandmother while attending Cleveland Heights High School.

“By the time I arrived in Cleveland Heights, my last school before college, I had attended 11 schools,” Judge Ryan said. “When you count kindergarten to 10th grade, traumatic and tumultuous are the words you can use to describe my poor upbringing.”  

With the help of teachers at different schools, pastors, and coaches, coupled with his unrivaled work ethic, Judge Ryan was able to avoid following in his parents' footsteps.

“It was my love of education, competitive spirit, and my faith that really drove me,” he said. “Despite the fact that I was seeing so much chaos and confusion and degradation around me, I could really rely on my school. That was because without control in every other aspect of my life, like my mom and my dad's fighting, the drug use, or whether I would eat or sleep, I could control my life when it came to my education and my behavior.”  

Looking Forward  
From this early life in Cleveland, Judge Ryan went on to Allegheny College to pursue a teaching career, where he navigated sports and academic obstacles. Following the dissolution of the college’s special 5-year education degree program and his enrollment in an exceptionally inspiring civil liberties class, he became convinced to become an attorney. This was despite his long-standing distrust in the law resulting from the prison sentence his father received while Judge Ryan was still a child.

Following his graduation from law school at Cleveland State, Judge Ryan was an attorney on both sides of the aisle, working prosecution and defense, and did a stint with the Cleveland Department of Public Safety working as their administrator for the Office of Professional Standards. He also served as a magistrate for Cleveland Municipal Court, where he gained invaluable experience presiding on the bench.

Life From the Bench  
Ryan’s career as a judge kickstarted when he was elected to Cleveland Municipal Court, where he presided for seven years. Subsequently, he ran for and won a seat on the juvenile court. In both courts, he was the youngest and one of the few Black men to earn a seat.

Judge Ryan’s opportunity to serve on the Eighth District Court of Appeals came when longtime colleague, friend, and mentor, Judge Larry Jones Sr., unexpectedly passed away in 2021.

“I owe a lot to him for my success in winning my municipal court election and maintaining the seat. He was such a role model for me,” said Judge Ryan. “We had conversations about running for the court of appeals at some point in my career, and I felt led to run for his seat in 2022.”  

Amid his tenured experience as a judge, he’s coined the “4 C’s” of what he believes are the necessary traits to be a good jurist: Consciousness or being aware of what's required by law and the  court you are presiding over. Commitment to your craft and dedication to the time it takes. Courageousness to make decisions that may not be popular. And lastly, Consistency in your application of the law.

Legacy of Service 
While presiding over the municipal, juvenile, and appellate courts, Judge Ryan has remained committed to using his powerful position to engage in many community initiatives and outreach programs. These include multiple specialized dockets regarding domestic violence and undereducated groups, involvement with the Sisters of Charity Foundation and foster care program “A Place 4 Me,” and even serving as a deacon at his church.

“I’ve been given such an opportunity, not just as a jurist, but throughout my lifetime,” Judge Ryan said. “Lots of people have been in similar positions and not been able to find the level of success that I did, so because I am where I am, I do feel that obligation to give back as much as I possibly can, and that isn’t just limited to bench.”