Zachery Ty Bryan Remains in Custody Amid Possible Prison Sentence; Fiancée Released on GPS Smartphone Monitoring App
EUGENE, Ore. — Former child star Zachery Ty Bryan, famed for his role as Brad Taylor on the 1990s sitcom Home Improvement, continues to face mounting legal scrutiny following his November 29 arrest for violating probation terms tied to a prior domestic violence conviction.
The 44-year-old Eugene resident, who shares three young children with fiancée Johnnie Faye Cartwright, remains in custody at Lane County Community Corrections after denying the violation allegations during a December 3 arraignment.
Meanwhile, Cartwright, 32, was released on December 3 under Pre-Trial Services' conditional contractual release, now with a GPS Smartphone app (not an ankle monitor as previously reported) as part of the Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP), according to jail and court records. Details on the conditions of her release or her access to their children, who were placed with a family member post-arrest, remain unavailable, though sources suggest they may be staying with Cartwright or her capable mother in Lane County.
The chaotic incident unfolded around 12:30 p.m. near Big Fall Creek Road, a popular camping area about 30 miles northeast of Eugene. Lane County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of reckless endangerment, finding Bryan walking along the roadway after an apparent altercation inside a pickup truck carrying Cartwright and their three small children. Deputies observed signs of impairment in both adults and noted the vehicle had crashed into a ditch and against the road bank. No injuries were reported, but the children were immediately turned over to relatives for safety. Bryan, prohibited from contact with Cartwright under his 2023 no-contact order, was booked for probation violation on two fourth-degree felony assault charge. He faces potential revocation of his 36-month supervised probation, set to expire October 24, 2026,and enforcement of a suspended 19-20 month prison sentence.
Cartwright's initial booking included felony attempted first-degree assault and three misdemeanor counts of reckless endangering another person, alongside DUII. However, prosecutors declined to pursue the assault charge and two reckless endangering counts, leaving her facing one count each of DUII (ORS 813.010(4), Class A misdemeanor), reckless endangering another person (ORS 163.195, Class A misdemeanor), and reckless driving (ORS 811.140, Class A misdemeanor), all stemming from the crash that endangered the children and herself. On December 1, before Judge Clara L. Rigmaden, she entered not guilty pleas to all three charges. A no-contact order was once again issued against Bryan, further complicating their shared custody dynamics.
Lane County District Attorney Christopher J. Parosa, via Deputy DA Erik T. Knapp's sworn affidavit filed December 3, cited probation officer Valerie TrueLove's report in urging revocation. The motion argues Bryan failed to abstain from intoxicants, ignored geographic restrictions by departing California without permission, and breached the no-contact order, violations that "are not being served" by continued probation. Knapp, sworn before notary Mindy Lane, emphasized the need for Bryan to "appear and show cause" why his release shouldn't end, a bench warrant issued, probation revoked, and sentencing imposed. Bryan's arraignment denial has delayed resolution, with an December 15, 2025 hearing pending; he remains in jail on a detainer, holding him without bail as of December 7. (Court Documents)
This episode marks Bryan's sixth arrest in five years, a trajectory probation officials describe as rooted in "refusal to comply" with terms aimed at curbing substance abuse and violence. Despite completing a 30-day inpatient alcohol program earlier in 2025, his pattern of DUIs, unauthorized travel, and domestic incidents persists. Bryan's supervision was briefly transferred to California in January 2024 but repeatedly disrupted by out-of-state arrests.Timeline of Bryan's Arrests Since 2020
Meanwhile, Cartwright, 32, was released on December 3 under Pre-Trial Services' conditional contractual release, now with a GPS Smartphone app (not an ankle monitor as previously reported) as part of the Electronic Monitoring Program (EMP), according to jail and court records. Details on the conditions of her release or her access to their children, who were placed with a family member post-arrest, remain unavailable, though sources suggest they may be staying with Cartwright or her capable mother in Lane County.
The chaotic incident unfolded around 12:30 p.m. near Big Fall Creek Road, a popular camping area about 30 miles northeast of Eugene. Lane County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of reckless endangerment, finding Bryan walking along the roadway after an apparent altercation inside a pickup truck carrying Cartwright and their three small children. Deputies observed signs of impairment in both adults and noted the vehicle had crashed into a ditch and against the road bank. No injuries were reported, but the children were immediately turned over to relatives for safety. Bryan, prohibited from contact with Cartwright under his 2023 no-contact order, was booked for probation violation on two fourth-degree felony assault charge. He faces potential revocation of his 36-month supervised probation, set to expire October 24, 2026,and enforcement of a suspended 19-20 month prison sentence.
Cartwright's initial booking included felony attempted first-degree assault and three misdemeanor counts of reckless endangering another person, alongside DUII. However, prosecutors declined to pursue the assault charge and two reckless endangering counts, leaving her facing one count each of DUII (ORS 813.010(4), Class A misdemeanor), reckless endangering another person (ORS 163.195, Class A misdemeanor), and reckless driving (ORS 811.140, Class A misdemeanor), all stemming from the crash that endangered the children and herself. On December 1, before Judge Clara L. Rigmaden, she entered not guilty pleas to all three charges. A no-contact order was once again issued against Bryan, further complicating their shared custody dynamics.
Lane County District Attorney Christopher J. Parosa, via Deputy DA Erik T. Knapp's sworn affidavit filed December 3, cited probation officer Valerie TrueLove's report in urging revocation. The motion argues Bryan failed to abstain from intoxicants, ignored geographic restrictions by departing California without permission, and breached the no-contact order, violations that "are not being served" by continued probation. Knapp, sworn before notary Mindy Lane, emphasized the need for Bryan to "appear and show cause" why his release shouldn't end, a bench warrant issued, probation revoked, and sentencing imposed. Bryan's arraignment denial has delayed resolution, with an December 15, 2025 hearing pending; he remains in jail on a detainer, holding him without bail as of December 7. (Court Documents)
This episode marks Bryan's sixth arrest in five years, a trajectory probation officials describe as rooted in "refusal to comply" with terms aimed at curbing substance abuse and violence. Despite completing a 30-day inpatient alcohol program earlier in 2025, his pattern of DUIs, unauthorized travel, and domestic incidents persists. Bryan's supervision was briefly transferred to California in January 2024 but repeatedly disrupted by out-of-state arrests.Timeline of Bryan's Arrests Since 2020
- October 16, 2020 (Eugene, Oregon): Arrested for strangulation, fourth-degree assault, and interfering with a report in a domestic incident involving Cartwright. Pleaded guilty to misdemeanor menacing in 2021; sentenced to probation.
- July 28, 2023 (Eugene, Oregon): Arrested for fourth-degree felony assault, third-degree robbery, and misdemeanor harassment in a domestic violence case. Pleaded guilty to felony assault constituting domestic violence in October 2023; sentenced to 36 months supervised probation, seven days jail (served), and no-contact order with Cartwright.
- February 17, 2024 (La Quinta, California): Arrested for DUI after a traffic collision, with blood alcohol at 0.229. Charged with felony DUI (fourth lifetime offense), misdemeanor hit-and-run; prohibited from alcohol.
- October 25, 2024 (Custer County, Oklahoma): Arrested for DUI after unauthorized travel from California; deputies noted intoxication despite consumption ban.
- January 1, 2025 (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina): Arrested for second-degree domestic violence after allegedly assaulting and strangling Cartwright, violating no-contact and travel rules. Released on $10,000 bail.
- November 29, 2025 (Lane County, Oregon): Arrested for probation violation after the Big Fall Creek Road incident, involving prohibited contact with Cartwright and signs of impairment.
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