I Was a Judge — Then I Had To Survive Federal Prison | Ryan Kamada

Locked In with Ian Bick

Ian Bick

Society & Culture

4.8 • 743 Ratings

🗓️ 2 July 2025

⏱️ 136 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ryan Kamada was a respected judge in Colorado—until one decision destroyed everything. In this exclusive interview, Kamada opens up about growing up with a solid upbringing, becoming a lawyer and judge, and the crime he committed while sitting on the bench that led to a federal prison sentence. Sentenced to a year and a day behind bars, he shares what it was like going from authority figure to inmate, the lessons he learned inside, and how he’s working to rebuild his life after losing it all. #RyanKamada #ExJudge #FederalPrison #TrueCrimeStory #FallFromGrace #JudicialCorruption #PrisonRedemption #lockedinpodcast Thank you to RIDGE for sponsoring today's episode: Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code LOCKEDIN at https://www.Ridge.com/LOCKEDIN #Ridgepod #sponsored Hosted, Executive Produced & Edited By Ian Bick: https://www.instagram.com/ian_bick/?hl=en https://ianbick.com/ Presented by Tyson 2.0 & Wooooo Energy: https://tyson20.com/ https://woooooenergy.com/ Buy Merch: https://convictclothing.net/collections/convict-clothing-x-ian-bick Timestamps: 00:00:00 The Downfall of Judge Ryan Kamada 00:08:06 Reflecting on Interracial Marriage Challenges 00:16:03 From Engineering to Law School: A Career Transition 00:24:01 The Journey to Representing Parents in Court 00:32:40 Becoming a Magistrate in Colorado 00:40:49 The Challenges of Representing Foster Kids and Abused Children 00:49:00 The Role of Judges in the Criminal Justice System 00:58:07 Warning a Friend About Legal Trouble 01:05:45 Facing an FBI Investigation 01:14:20 The FBI Profer Experience 01:22:46 Navigating the Legal System and Facing Conviction 01:31:37 The First Step Act and Ankle Monitors 01:39:45 Life Inside: Unexpected Realities of Prison 01:47:52 Favorite Commissary Foods and Prison Burritos 01:55:39 Life Lessons Learned in Prison 02:04:29 Overcoming Personal Struggles through Community Support 02:12:55 The Value of Sharing Personal Stories Online Powered by: Just Media House : https://www.justmediahouse.com/ Creative direction, design, assets, support by FWRD: https://www.fwrd.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was on top bunk. He stood right up, look me right in the face. And he's like, never say that
0:05.4	word again in here. And then one of the toughest Mexicans was across and he just gets out of his
0:11.2	bed. He comes walking and he looks right at me. He's like, you ever say that to me. I'm going to
0:15.2	you. And it just hit me, you know. Ryan Kamada had it all. Respected lawyer, appointed judge, and a picture perfect life in
0:23.5	Colorado, but behind the bench, he made one decision that changed everything. As a sitting judge,
0:29.6	Ryan committed a federal crime that landed him on the other side of the justice system,
0:33.8	sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison. In this episode, he opens up about what led to his downfall, the reality of life behind bars,
0:42.5	and how he's been able to rebuild his life after losing it all.
0:45.9	This is the story of a man who went from handing down sentences to serving one.
0:54.6	Ryan, welcome to Locked in, man.
0:57.4	Nice to meet you in, yeah.
0:58.5	Nice to meet you, too.
0:59.4	Straight from Colorado.
1:00.8	Colorado.
1:01.3	And our first judge on the show, former judge.
1:05.3	A lot of first, Ian.
1:06.9	First felon in my family.
1:08.6	I've been trying to get a judge on.
1:10.0	I was in talks with the judge from Florida that oversaw the Parkland school shooting, who had retired and is now on social media. And then, like, her manager or whatever goes to me after a few emails, I think after I told them I was a felon, too. But I've been wanting to get a judge on. I've had prosecutors. I've had lawyers.
1:28.0	We've had everyone but a judge.
1:30.3	It would be cool to have my judge that oversaw my case on the show too. I'm thinking about sending a letter just to let them know how I'm doing and like paying the restitution and everything like that. I'll tell you what. I don't know, you're judge, but, you know, from sitting in that robe, they leave the door,
1:45.4	and you have no idea what happened to these families and people.
	...

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