Posts tagged Dede Evavold

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

November 17, 2021 Comments Off read Media, The Girls Are Gone

The riveting episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, will be broadcast tonight at 6 PM (CST) on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

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

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

October 24, 2021 Comments Off read Media, The Girls Are Gone

The riveting episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, will be broadcast tonight at 7 PM (CST) on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

Court: Evavold liable for nearly $6 million in damages

January 21, 2021 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

A court in Dakota County has ruled that Dede Evavold is liable for nearly six million dollars in damages to David Rucki, and his daughters Samantha Rucki and Gianna Rucki, for Evavold’s involvement in the disappearance of Samantha and Gianna.

Evavold was convicted in September 2016 of six felonies for her role in the disappearance of Samantha and her sister Gianna, who were abducted near their home in Lakeville, Minnesota, by their mother, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, during a custody and divorce proceeding.

In November 2017, Evavold was sued in civil court in Dakota County by David, Samantha, and Gianna, for numerous damages related to her crimes.

Judge Jerome Abrams ordered last week that Evavold “negligently and intentionally inflicted emotional distress on David Rucki, Samantha Rucki, and Gianna Rucki.” As a result, Judge Abrams awarded David, Samantha, and Gianna damages against Evavold, totaling $5,760,927.

Evavold, Grazzini-Rucki, and Doug, and Gina Dahlen were each criminally charged and convicted for their roles in Samantha and Gianna’s disappearance. A civil lawsuit filed by David, Samantha, and Gianna, against the Dahlens and their church was settled in September 2018. The terms of the settlement were not made public.

David Rucki awarded $1 million in damages for defamation by Evavold

After being released from jail, Evavold repeatedly violated the explicit terms of her probation and the HRO by continuing to reference the Rucki family in her use of social media. Evavold’s blog posted pictures of the Rucki family, their home in Lakeville, and the address to the home, in violation of the HRO and the conditions of her probation.

Judge Abrams ruled that Evavold’s post “meet the definition of defamation…” and that she wrote “or re-posted articles by others making vicious and untrue statements about David Rucki…”

David was awarded $3,379,019 in damages, of which $1 million was allocated for defamation by Evavold.

Evavold’s criminal trial scheduled for February

Aside from now being liable for over $5.7 million in damages to the Rucki family, Evavold will also be in criminal court next month.

Evavold criminal trial for violating a Harassment Restraining Order (HRO) filed against her by Michael Brodkorb is scheduled for February. She was charged in May 2019 after she attempted to contact Brodkorb to restart her blog after WordPress suspended it for violating their terms of service.

Evavold is currently on probation related to her criminal conviction in 2016. A conviction in this criminal case would likely trigger a probation violation and jail time for Evavold.

The harassment by Evavold and others is detailed in the award-winning true crime book The Girls Are Gone, which was written by Brodkorb and Allison Mann.

Please follow Missing in Minnesota on Twitter and Facebook for updates on the legal developments.

Evavold’s criminal trial scheduled for February

December 17, 2020 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

A judge in Dakota County scheduled Dede Evavold’s criminal trial for February 22, 2021, on a criminal charge of violating a Harassment Restraining Order (HRO) filed against her by Michael Brodkorb. Evavold was charged in May 2019 after she attempted to contact Brodkorb for assistance in restarting her blog after WordPress suspended it for violating their terms of service.

Judge Dannia L. Edwards denied an attempt by Evavold to have the criminal charge dismissed. In an order issued on December 2, Judge Edwards wrote: “that there is probable cause to believe that [Evavold] committed the offense and that it is fair and reasonable for [Evavold] to stand trial on the charge…”

Brodkorb was granted an HRO against Evavold in August 2018 for her involvement in surreptitiously obtaining and later distributing a photograph of Brodkorb’s wife and minor children online. Continue reading →

Thissen defeats MacDonald for MN Supreme Court

November 4, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children and is facing discipline by the Minnesota Supreme Court, was defeated by Associate Justice Paul Thissen in her fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Thissen is leading with nearly 60 percent of the vote against MacDonald, based on initial election results. He declared victory today over MacDonald, noting that he won 84 of 87 counties in Minnesota.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, 2016, and 2018. In total, over 4.5 million votes have been cast against MacDonald during her failed campaigns for the Minnesota Supreme Court. Continue reading →

Former MN Supreme Court Justice: MacDonald is “unfit for the office”

October 29, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, is “unfit for office” according to former Associate Justice David Lillehaug, who defeated MacDonald when she ran against him for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014.

Former Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court David Lillehaug.

MacDonald is currently running for the Minnesota Supreme Court against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018. She was also an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2016 and 2018.

In a letter to the editor published today by the Star Tribune, Lillehaug wrote:

Based on my two years on the court with Justice Thissen, I can attest that he is thoughtful and ethical, works hard and reads our laws as written. By contrast, based on her record, [Michelle MacDonald] is plainly unfit for the office.

Lillehaug retired from the Minnesota Supreme Court on July 31, 2020.

MacDonald is currently facing discipline from the Minnesota Supreme Court that could impact her ability to serve on the court if she was elected next week.

Earlier this month, a judicial referee appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court determined MacDonald “caused harm to both the public and legal profession” that warrant MacDonald being placed on supervised probation.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed in June by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald. McKinsey’s recommendation that MacDonald is placed on supervised probation was made in a court filing yesterday after a disciplinary hearing which was held last month. Continue reading →

Michelle MacDonald ’caused harm to both the public and legal profession’

October 21, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald, Missing in Minnesota, The Girls Are Gone

A judicial referee appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court has determined that Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, “caused harm to both the public and legal profession” that warrant MacDonald being placed on supervised probation.

In March, the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court to discipline MacDonald after determining that she violated the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys and the conditions of her probation by which she could practice law.

The petition was filed after the completion of a 21-month investigation into MacDonald, which began after Michael Brodkorb and Allison Mann filed a formal complaint with the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in June 2018 in response to MacDonald filing a lawsuit against Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota. The lawsuit filed by MacDonald was dismissed in March 2019 by a judge in Ramsey County.

The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility requested the suspension of MacDonald’s law license for a minimum of 90 days. They have 14 days to contest the disciplinary recommendations from Judge McKinsey. Continue reading →

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

October 8, 2020 Comments Off read Media, The Girls Are Gone

The riveting episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, will be broadcast today at 3 PM (CST) on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

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 →

Lawyers board: Suspend MacDonald’s law license

September 30, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

The Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility is requesting that Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court, “be suspended from the practice of law for a minimum of 90 days as a sanction for her misconduct.“

The request to suspend MacDonald’s law license was made in a court filing by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility in response to a disciplinary hearing which was held earlier this month.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald. McKinsey is scheduled to release her findings and recommendations for discipline against MacDonald by October 20, 2020.

According to the brief filed last week, MacDonald “violated Rule 3.1, MRPC” when she filed her “factually frivolous defamation lawsuit” against Brodkorb and Missing in Minnesota. The brief is damning and details numerous violations by MacDonald of the rules governing licensed attorneys in Minnesota.

The filing from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility validates the work of Brodkorh and Missing in Minnesota in reporting about Michelle MacDonald, as one of the reasons they want her suspended is because she filed “a factually frivolous lawsuit against a local journalist [Brodkorb], which was dismissed after over a year of costly litigation.”

Continue reading →

MacDonald’s disciplinary hearing scheduled for Wednesday

September 10, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

A court hearing will be held next Wednesday on the petition for disciplinary action filed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility against Michelle MacDonald, who is a candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court.

The hearing is scheduled for September 16, 2020, at 9 AM and will be conducted online through Zoom because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Senior Judge E. Anne McKinsey was appointed in June by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Lorie Gildea as the referee to hear the petition for disciplinary action against MacDonald.

Both Brodkorb and Mann have been subpoenaed by the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility to testify at the hearing.

In total, the petition from the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility details 14 violations by MacDonald of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct governing licensed attorneys and 7 violations of her probation by which she can practice law in Minnesota. Continue reading →

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

August 19, 2020 Comments Off read Media

UPDATE (4:30 PM, Thursday, August 20, 2020) – “Footprints in the Snow” will be broadcast at 5 PM (CST) tonight on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

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The riveting episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, will be broadcast tonight at 9 PM (CST) and Thursday at 12 AM (CST) on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

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 →

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

August 15, 2020 Comments Off read Media

The riveting episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, will be broadcast Sunday at 7 PM (CST) and Monday at 2 AM (CST) on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

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 →

MacDonald’s campaign reports riddled with problems

August 6, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

The campaign finance reports filed by Michelle MacDonald’s campaign committee over the past few months fail to disclose contributor information, detail questionable spending, and improperly hide the massive debt owed by her campaign.

MacDonald is running against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018. In July, MacDonald’s campaign committee reported raising only $410 – from two donors – since she announced her fourth campaign for the Minnesota Supreme Court last December.

MacDonald was an unsuccessful candidate for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Continue reading →

Michelle MacDonald’s campaign only raises $410

August 4, 2020 Comments Off read 2020 Elections, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald’s fourth attempt to get elected to the Minnesota Supreme Court isn’t gaining support with donors, as MacDonald’s campaign reported raising only $410 from two donors since announcing her campaign last December.

MacDonald is running against Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen, who was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2018.

Thissen’s campaign reported raising $68,742.91 since January and has a massive financial advantage over MacDonald’s campaign. Thissen’s campaign reported a cash-on-hand total of $62,578.08 on July 20, 2020, while MacDonald’s campaign reported having only $3,779.11. Continue reading →

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

July 2, 2020 Comments Off read Media

The riveting episode of ABC’s “20/20” discussed in the award-winning true crime book, The Girls Are Gone, will be broadcast tonight at 10 PM (CST) and Friday at 1 AM (CST) on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

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 →