Posts tagged Michael Brodkorb

Evavold makes second court appearance on restraining order violation

Dede Evavold made her second court appearance involving a criminal charge of violating a Harassment Restraining Order (HRO) filed against her in Dakota County by Michael Brodkorb. Evavold was charged in May after she attempted to contact Brodkorb for assistance in restarting her blog after WordPress suspended it for violating their terms of service.

During a brief court hearing at the Dakota County Northern Service Center in West St. Paul, Minnesota, Evavold requested a formal complaint be filed related to the criminal charge. The prosecutor agreed to have a formal complaint drafted within 30 days and a pre-trial hearing was scheduled for December 3, 2019. Evavold was arranged in July.

Brodkorb was granted an HRO against Evavold last year for her involvement in surreptitiously obtaining and later distributing a photograph of Brodkorb’s wife and minor children online.

Michael and Sarah Brodkorb filed the HROs in Dakota County against Diane Ristau of Medford, Carrie Beaudette of St. Joseph, and Evavold, who lives in St. Cloud.

The photograph of Ms. Brodkorb with her minor children was distributed multiple times with false allegations on a social media account connected to Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and her supporters.

The same social media account had been investigated by law enforcement for publishing threatening, harassing, and defamatory statements targeting judges, law enforcement, court staff, and journalists. Continue reading

One-year ‘bookiversary’ of ‘The Girls Are Gone’

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann celebrated the one-year “bookiversary” of their award-winning book The Girls Are Gone by highlighting the key events of last year today. In a series of tweets this afternoon, Brodkorb and Mann announced 10,000 copies of The Girls Are Gone have been sold across all platforms in the past year.

As detailed by Brodkorb, a paperback and ebook were released last year, and an audiobook was released earlier this month.

“The past year has been exciting and humbling for both Allison Mann and myself,” said Michael Brodkorb. “We are continually thankful to everyone that helped make this possible,” added Brodkorb.

Since being released last October,  The Girls Are Gone has been a commercial and critical success. In April, Brodkorb and Allison Mann were awarded a 2019 Independent Publisher Book AwardBrodkorb and Mann announced in July that the fourth printing of their book had been ordered.

Brodkorb and Mann have appeared at nearly 40 events for their book in the last few months, and more book events will be announced later this week.

The Kindle Edition of The Girls Are Gone has appeared on multiple “best seller” lists by AmazonThe Girls Are Gone is published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing.”

“It has been amazing to see this story reach so many people,” said Allison Mann. “Hearing from readers about their personal experiences and those of their loved ones has made it even more clear how important it was to write this book,” added Mann.

 

15-month investigation by lawyers board into MacDonald continues

The investigation by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility into alleged violations by Michelle MacDonald of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys continues according to a letter from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

The investigation into the alleged violations by MacDonald was opened over 15 months ago after Missing in Minnesota filed a formal complaint with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in response to MacDonald filing a “frivolous and vexatious” lawsuit against Missing in Minnesota, which appeared to be in violation of an Order of the Minnesota Supreme Court which details the conditions by which MacDonald is allowed to practice law.

The lawsuit filed by MacDonald against Missing in Minnesota was dismissed in March by a judge in Ramsey County. MacDonald is appealing the dismissal of the lawsuit.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018, having previously lost two bids for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016. Continue reading

Wednesday: ABC’s ’20/20′ episode about Grazzini-Rucki

Tomorrow, October 16, 2019, at 10 AM (CST), Investigative Discovery (ID) will be broadcasting the episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book,  The Girls Are Gone.

The episode about Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, called “Footprints in the Snow” was first broadcast on April 8, 2016, and was later rebroadcast on March 25, 2017. The episode has since been rebroadcast on multiple television networks over the last two years.

Grazzini-Rucki had tried to stop the rebroadcasts of the episode which found no documentation to verify Grazzini-Rucki’s claim that she was abused by David Rucki. Grazzini-Rucki had taken to Facebook, calling the show “rank propaganda” and encouraging people to register complaints.

In April 2017, Grazzini-Rucki announced she would be filing a defamation lawsuit against ABC, Inc, ABC’s “20/20”, and Elizabeth Vargas, the co-anchor of “20/20”. Grazzini-Rucki claimed she would be seeking “an ungodly amount” of money in her latest lawsuit, but the lawsuit was never filed. Continue reading

‘The Girls Are Gone’ audiobook available for sale

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann announced today that the audiobook of their award-winning book – The Girls Are Goneis now available for sale. The audiobook not only shares the story of the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna Rucki but also includes a rare gem in the audiobook universe: never-before-heard audio.

“We really wanted to find a way to bring something fresh to the audiobook,” said Michael Brodkorb. “Adding real-life interviews into the recording brings a new dimension for fans who’ve already read the book, and an interesting twist for our new fans,” added Brodkorb.

The audiobook of The Girls Are Gone is available today on Audible, Amazon, and Apple. Additional platforms will be announced in the coming days. Continue reading

MN Supreme Court referee: ‘indefinitely’ suspend MacDonald’s lawyer

A judicial referee appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court has recommended that Karlowba R. Adams Powell, who serves as Michelle MacDonald’s attorney in her lawsuit against Michael Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota, should be “indefinitely suspended” from the practice of law.

The recommendation by Judge Richard C. Perkins comes after a two-day hearing was held in July about a petition filed last December with the Minnesota Supreme Court by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

In the petition, the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility requested a court order revoking Adams Powell’s probation, suspending her law license, or “imposing otherwise appropriate discipline…” based on “unprofessional conduct” by Adams Powell. The petition claimed Adams Powell made false statements to the court, and others, including staff with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility, that she engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, that she failed to provide receipts for cash payments, and that she failed to “safeguard client funds.”

According to today’s court filing, this is the fourth disciplinary proceeding for “professional misconduct” involving Adams Powell.

Judge Perkins was blunt in describing Adams Powell’s lack of candor: “[w]hile a misstatement made only once may be a mistake, being stated in writing twice and the again under oath at a deposition demonstrates a disregard for the truth.”

In the final pages, Judge Perkins wrote that Adams Powell “refused to acknowledge her misconduct, exhibited no remorse for her misconduct, and failed to offer any evidence or assurance that she will not engage in similar future misconduct.” Judge Perkin’s added that “[i]n a case about candor to a court … [Adams Powell] displayed a lack of candor with this court during her own testimony.” Continue reading

Book event on Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Rochester

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann will sign their award-winning book The Girls Are Gone at Barnes & Noble at Apache Mall in Rochester, Minnesota, on September 14, 2019, from 2 PM –  4 PM.

Since being released last October,  The Girls Are Gone has been a commercial and critical success. In April, Brodkorb and Allison Mann were awarded a 2019 Independent Publisher Book AwardBrodkorb and Mann announced in July that the fourth printing of their book had been ordered.

The Kindle Edition of The Girls Are Gone has appeared on multiple “best seller” lists by AmazonThe Girls Are Gone is published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing.

Brodkorb and Mann have appeared at over 30 events for their book in the last few months, and more book events will be announced later in the coming weeks.

The Girls Are Gone is available for sale through numerous retailers in both paperback and ebook.

Book Event on Saturday at M and M Bookstore in Cedar Rapids

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann will discuss and sign their award-winning book The Girls Are Gone at M and M Bookstore in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on September 7, 2019, from 1:30 PM –  3:30 PM.

Since being released last October,  The Girls Are Gone has been a commercial and critical success. In April, Brodkorb and Allison Mann were awarded a 2019 Independent Publisher Book AwardBrodkorb and Mann announced earlier this month that the fourth printing of their book had been ordered.

The Kindle Edition of The Girls Are Gone has appeared on multiple “best seller” lists by AmazonThe Girls Are Gone is published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing.

Brodkorb and Mann have appeared at over 30 events for their book in the last few months, and more book events will be announced later in the coming weeks.

The Girls Are Gone is available for sale through numerous retailers in both paperback and ebook.

 

Author appearance at Barnes & Noble at Mall of America

Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann will sign their award-winning book The Girls Are Gone at Barnes & Noble at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, on August 24, 2019, from 1 PM –  3 PM. 

Since being released last October,  The Girls Are Gone has been a commercial and critical success. In April, Brodkorb and Allison Mann were awarded a 2019 Independent Publisher Book AwardBrodkorb and Mann announced in July that the fourth printing of their book had been ordered.

The Kindle Edition of The Girls Are Gone has appeared on multiple “best seller” lists by AmazonThe Girls Are Gone is published by Wise Ink Creative Publishing.

Brodkorb and Mann have appeared at over 30 events for their book in the last few months, and more book events will be announced later in the coming weeks.

On Monday, August 12, 2019, Brodkorb will be at Cherry Street Books in Alexandria for a book event from 1 PM to 3 PM. On Thursday, August 15, 2019, Brodkorb and Mann will be at the Bierstube in Hastings, Minnesota for a book event from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM.

 The Girls Are Gone is available for sale through numerous retailers in both paperback and ebook.