The case against Sandra Grazzini-Rucki has turned to chaos
and most of the blame can be laid at the feet of Dakota County Judge Karen
Asphaug.
Grazzini-Rucki was convicted in the fall 2016 of deprivation
of parental rights for hiding two of her daughters from her abusive ex-husband-
her ex-husband David Rucki has been involved in a
bar fight, a
road rage incident, incidents
of stalking, once
stuck a gun to his son Nico’s head, and chased after his
daughter Samantha on her thirteenth birthday.
(A
full dossier of David Rucki’s violence can be found here)
The conviction came only after Asphaug denied almost all evidence of David Rucki's violence and abuse.
The conviction came only after Asphaug denied almost all evidence of David Rucki's violence and abuse.
The maximum sentence for the crime Grazzini-Rucki was convicted
of was one year and one day and probation was assumed for anyone with no prior
criminal record.
Though probation was assumed since Grazzini-Rucki had no prior criminal record, not only did Asphaug sentence
Grazzini-Rucki to the maximum but made her serve it fifteen days at a time over
a period of six years.
Grazzini-Rucki was picked up for this crime in October 2015
and served approximately five months in prison awaiting trial largely because Asphaug set her bail then at $500,000, referring to her as a flight risk.
She also served a month immediately after being sentenced
and another three weeks for a probation violation.
As such, by the end of 2016, she had less than two months to
serve.
Grazzini-Rucki asked the “execute the sentence”; by execute,
this means to finish the remaining all at once.
The prosecutor and even the probation officer both recommended
this course of action but Asphaug denied it and forced Grazzini-Rucki to wait
until November 19, 2017 to serve the next portion of her sentence.'
(Judge Karen Asphaug)
But shortly before Grazzini-Rucki was to serve her sentence,
the Minnesota Appeals Court overturned the sentence as too harsh and sent the
matter back to Asphaug for her to resentence Grazzini-Rucki and have her complete
the sentence.
On December 8, 2017, Asphaug announced on the docket that
she was scheduling a hearing. Then, on December 14, 2018, Asphaug, with no
explanation, canceled the hearing.
It’s not clear why the second hearing was a “review hearing”
since what needed to occur was for a resentencing.
But by this point, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki had been rendered homeless
and living in Florida.
She was homeless because in her divorce her ex-husband was
awarded everything, along with sole custody of the children, and child support
and alimony.
Since she was now a convicted felon, she could never find a job
which would be able to manage paying for all this.
She was living in Florida because Asphaug, knowing that
Grazzini-Rucki was homeless, let her leave prison without providing a home
address or phone number.
She’s also not been required to check with either the court
or her probation officer as Grazzini-Rucki maintained no contact with either
with no sanction since she left the state in late 2016.
Grazzini-Rucki’s circumstances are so dire she borrows and
shares phones.
With Grazzini-Rucki on the street, it’s not clear how she
was served.
None of her attorneys of record were contacted.
Grazzini-Rucki failed to appear for her March 26 court date
and a nationwide body only (the most extreme) warrant was immediately issued.
Now, with less than a month and a half to serve, Dakota
County is insisting on extraditing Grazzini-Rucki, a process would could take
up to a week and a half on its own.
Because missing a court date immediately put Grazzini-Rucki
into a fugitive category she is being housed in maximum security in a county
jail, not a prison, which she said, “are used to break people.”
Had she been allowed to execute the sentence, Grazzini-Rucki
would have completed everything in January 2017.
Sandra Grazzini-Rucki is currently being housed in Pinellas
(Fl) County Jail and has been since she voluntarily turned herself in on March
27.
