Attorney obtains no-contact order against client

Published 1:30 am Friday, November 2, 2018

A defense attorney withdrew recently from representing a defendant in Island County Superior Court after obtaining a no-contact order against the man.

Judge Alan Hancock approved the attorney’s motion to withdraw. He also ordered the defendant, Ryan A. Smith, 34, of Langley, to undergo a mental health evaluation from a designated crisis responder before leaving the courthouse.

Smith faces a felony charge for allegedly stealing a boat in May 2017. The police report states that he got onto the vessel, pried open the cabin door and untied it from the mooring.

The boat drifted away and got stuck under the Clinton ferry dock.

The attorney petitioned for an order of protection from stalking Oct. 19 on the advice of a psychologist.

“I do strongly encourage you to take any steps necessary to ensure your safety, including contacting law enforcement,” the psychologist wrote.

In her petition to the court, the attorney said Smith left voicemails until her mail box was full. The content ranged from saying hello to sexually explicit comments about her to claims that he was with the FBI, the petition states.

The attorney also wrote that her conversations with Smith were bizarre. He claimed they were married, for example, and asked for the ring back.

In a report filed Oct. 22, the psychologist wrote that Smith suffers from a major mental illness, with acute symptoms of delusions, paranoid ideation and perseveration, and was not competent to stand trial. The psychologist wrote that Smith could potentially be dangerous.