Zachery Ty Bryan Released From Jail as Attorney Says “Presumption of Innocence Is Important”

Chris Gardner
·3 min read

Zachery Ty Bryan was released from an Oregon jail Thursday morning, six days after being booked on two felony charges in what marks the latest chapter in a series of legal troubles for the former child star.

Arrested by the Eugene Police Department on July 28, Bryan is facing fourth-degree assault and third-degree robbery charges, as well as a misdemeanor claim of harassment, per official records. Bryan, who has retained criminal defense attorney John Kolego of Eugene law firm Kolego & Kraushaar, has a court date set for Sept. 5.

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The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kolego on Thursday morning, and he confirmed that Bryan is out of custody. “Presumption of innocence is extremely important and people should withhold judgement until they see what the actual facts are,” Kolego said.

As previously reported, on Friday at 6 p.m. local time, Eugene police officers responded to a physical dispute between a male, identified as Bryan, and an adult female at a north Eugene residence that had occurred several hours prior, a spokesperson for the Eugene Police Department confirmed to THR. Bryan was contacted while he was in the area and was brought in to Lane County Jail on one charge of assault in the fourth degree under the Abuse Prevention Act. The other party involved in the dispute was not named.

Bryan has been in a multiyear relationship with Johnnie Faye Cartwright, with whom he shares three young children, including a set of twins born in May. Following Bryan’s arrest, Cartwright released a statement to the press saying that she will “always want what’s best for the father of my children.” She added: “Trauma can bring struggles in many shapes and forms. It’s a horrible situation that’s going to be spun in so many ways. I’ve learned firsthand the truth will never align with what’s been put out there. I ask everyone to please be respectful of our privacy for the sake of the children and our families so the healing process can begin.”

The couple previously had a domestic dispute in October 2020 that resulted in Bryan pleading guilty to two misdemeanors, menacing and fourth-degree assault. He received three years of probation, was required to attend a violence-intervention program called Bridges2Safety and was ordered to have no contact with the victim, Cartwright.

As part of an investigation published by THR in June, Bryan opened up on the arrest and said that the situation “got so blown out of proportion” by the media. “We didn’t even really get that physical. We got really loud. We were screaming and because we were in a townhome that had [thin walls], everybody could hear. Johnnie was, at the time, just really upset about my situation,” he said, revealing that she had issues with his “double life” as he was still married at the time to Carly Matros, with whom he shares four children (including a set of twins). “At the end of the day, [the police] throw a bunch of counts at you because they ultimately want you to plead to something.”

Bryan’s history of legal troubles also includes four DUI arrests and a default judgement in a breach of contract lawsuit filed by a man who claimed that Bryan failed to return a $60,000 investment he made through Bryan in a feature film titled Warning. In his THR interview, Bryan confirmed that while the past few years have been a challenging spell filled with many ups and downs, he felt as if he had turned a corner and gotten a handle on a drinking problem and a tumultuous personal life.

“Every day is a new day and there are stresses and triggers, but I’m learning coping skills. I wake up, go on a nice walk, come back and kick it with the kids. I try to enjoy the little moments rather than try to dream for the big moments. It’s an interesting journey as long as we can stay sober. Then things are going to be good.”

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