Photo: Courtesy photo
Depending on who you ask, Judge Carl F. Bryan II was either a tough-as-nails and respected Superior Court Judge, or he was a joke-cracking family man with a good nature. Those who knew him best knew he was both.
Bryan passed away September 27 due to illness. He was 73.
His career was dedicated to helping the community, overseeing family court and child protection cases, among many others.
In 1983 he was appointed to Grass Valley Justice Court and in 1986, then-governor George Deukmejian appointed him to Superior Court.
The county’s juvenile detention center was dedicated the Carl F. Bryan II Juvenile Hall in 2002 in honor of his career.
After 23 years on the bench, Bryan announced his retirement in 2006.
“It has been my great fortune to serve the people of this community as a Judge,” Bryan told The Union on the 20th anniversary of his swearing in. “It has been the best job in the world and Nevada County is the best place in the world to do it.”
“It is hard to quantify the enormity of the loss we suffer with the passing of Carl F. Bryan II,” said Bryan’s former colleague and good friend, retired Super Court Judge Albert Dover, noting that Bryan performed his job with a true passion.
“Take the juvenile hall named after him. Carl didn’t care about having the hall named after him, although it was an honor he earned.
“He cared about making sure juveniles knew there would be consequences for their bad behavior. He cared about making sure that if a kid had to be in the juvenile hall, they were in their hometown where they could be supported by family and friends.”
“Success to Carl, his vision, meant an empty juvenile hall or one that gave our kids their best shot at not reoffending. His vision has proved successful,” Dover added.
Retired Superior Court Judge Frank Francis sang Bryan’s praise and noted the seriousness with which he held the bench.
“Carl was very bright and had a high energy level,” said Francis, “and this resulted in his ability to make decisions. He pushed the calendar along and moved things.
“Carl was fair. All judges really work at this concept, but it seemed to be so natural to him. He never let outside forces get into the wedge of his thinking. That was just part of him.”
Ed McSweeney, a friend and sometime colleague of Bryan’s, was impressed by his ability to get down to business once the robe had been zipped. As the former president of Court Appointed Special Advocates, McSweeney watched Bryan preside over his court on many occasions.
“He took family law extremely seriously,” McSweeney said. “I was once picked to be on a jury (in his court), and he asked if any of us felt like we couldn’t serve. I raised my hand.”
This resulted in Bryan telling his friend that “backing off of the jury was one of the worst things you could do. He went on a tirade. There was nothing I could do but sit there and smile.”
“He had a great sense of humor, always a smile,” said Francis. “He could take the pressure off a workplace where there was always pressure. He always made a joke out of something, but in his work that didn’t affect the correctness of his decision.”
Dover said: “There was no better friend. Simply put, there was no one more fun to be with. Even our disastrous fishing trips (of which there were at least four in this category) leave memories that will forever make me laugh.”
McSweeney was already a pal of Bryan’s when their two young sons began playing Little League and soccer together. The two led the efforts to make massive improvements to Pioneer Park’s upper baseball field and continued to co-coach their sons’ teams for a number of years.
“Carl had a great sense of humor,” said McSweeney. “He thought he was really funny. (He was) big on nicknames. Everybody had a nickname. He called me McSwindle.”
Bryan himself showed the community a glimpse of his off-work persona in a March 2003 “For The Public” interview with The Union.
He said he liked living in Nevada County because he could be “the best golfer on the bench and catch more fish than all of my colleagues combined.”
The soundtrack to his life, he stated, would include—but was not limited to— “Love Me Two Times” by The Doors, “Just A Gigolo” by Luis Prima, and “Hot In Here” by Nelly.
Time spent with family—his wife of 51 years, Shelley, daughter Chelsea, son John, their respective spouses, and several grandchildren—was a top priority for Bryan, aside from pursuing his hobbies.
“(I like) fly-fishing for steelhead, carp and bass. Beating my colleagues at golf (especially Judge Dover and Judge Edwards), parasailing, skydiving, and learning Spanish.”
Added Francis: “My memories are mostly of his time on the bench, and they are fine memories of a truly fine Judge.”
“Carl’s way was to look at what was and find ways to make it better,” said Dover. “He did this in every aspect of his life.
“Our community is a safer, healthier, and happier place for having had the good fortune of his caring, as a family man, friend, and Judge.”
Jennifer Nobles is a staff writer for The Union. She can be reached at jnobles@theunion.com.
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