Posts tagged Dede Evavold

Deja vu: Michelle MacDonald running again for Minnesota Supreme Court

June 11, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald, who was labeled a “person of interest” in the disappearance of missing children, filed to run again for the Minnesota Supreme Court, despite being on supervised probation as an attorney.

MacDonald filed to run against Justice Margaret Chutich, who was appointed by Governor Mark Dayton to the Minnesota Supreme Court in March 2016.

She first attempted to file to run for the Minnesota Supreme Court under a new political party but was denied because judicial elections are nonpartisan.

MacDonald previously ran twice unsuccessfully for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014 and 2016.

MacDonald’s law license was just “conditionally reinstated” by the Minnesota Supreme Court in March, subject to her completion of the written portion of the Bar exam “on the subject of professional responsibility…”

She remains on supervised probation for two years with numerous conditions limiting her practice of law which could limit her ability to serve on the Minnesota Supreme Court if elected.

The Associated Press reported that House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said “ugh” after MacDonald confirmed she was running for office again.

According to the most recent campaign finance reports, MacDonald had $31.70 in her campaign bank account and debts of $8,825.12.

Continue reading →

Kimberley Bukstein sued for allegedly filing false police & child protection reports

May 24, 2018 Comments Off read Kimberley and Jay Bukstein, Legal Developments

Kimberley Bukstein, who is connected to Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and her supporters, is being sued in civil court for allegedly filing false police & child protection reports.

According to a lawsuit filed on December 7, 2017, Bukstein is one of three people and two organizations being sued for making “numerous reports to various government agencies (i.e., police, child protection) alleging false allegations against Plaintiffs. Plaintiffs seek judgment per Minnesota Statutes prohibiting malicious reporting and in defamation.”

A trial has been scheduled for January 2019 for the lawsuit filed against Bukstein and others in Ramsey County District Court.

In an unrelated case, Bukstein filed complaints in 2013 against nearly every licensed professional involved in the divorce between Sandra Grazzini-Rucki and her ex-husband, David Rucki.

She was also disciplined for the unauthorized practice of law and has sent repeated threatening and harassing communications in an attempt to shut down Missing in Minnesota. Continue reading →

Dede Evavold may have violated her probation again

May 23, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Deirdre Evavold

Dede Evavold, who may have her probation revoked next month, may have violated her probation again by having contact with co-defendant Sandra Grazzini-Rucki.

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

Evavold’s probation conditions specifically restrict contact with “Co-Defendant(s), Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, Gina Dahlen and Douglas Dahlen.”

On May 10, 2018, the United States Supreme Court docketed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari filed on behalf of Sandra Grazzini-Rucki regarding the contested child support matter stemming from her divorce from David Rucki. Continue reading →

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki released from prison today after serving 240 days

May 15, 2018 Comments Off read Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki was released today from the Minnesota Correctional Facility in Shakopee, after serving a total of 240 days for her 2016 conviction on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of her daughters.

Grazzini-Rucki served the final 14 days of her sentence of in Shakopee, but she served the bulk of her sentence at the Ramsey County Jail while awaiting her criminal trial.

According to Stearns County Community Corrections, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki will be living at an address in Stearns County while she is on supervised probation. Her scheduled end date of probation is September 13, 2018, and Grazzini-Rucki will be prohibited from leaving Minnesota to live at her home in Clearwater, Florida.

But in a jailhouse video from April 5, 2018, Grazzini-Rucki brazenly declared that if she is ordered to stay in Minnesota, she will leave. “It wouldn’t matter anyway; I’d fucking leave anyway,” said Grazzini-Rucki. [WARNING: Video contains strong language.]

Grazzini-Rucki has no known relatives that live in Stearns County, but a small number of her remaining supporters live in the area. Continue reading →

UPDATE: Fake lawyer, fake cop threatens and harasses Missing in Minnesota

May 4, 2018 Comments Off read Analysis, Kimberley and Jay Bukstein

UPDATE (12:00 PM, Friday, May 3, 2018) – Kimberley and Jay Bukstein’s names are back on the public roster for ADR Rule 114 Qualified Neutralsfor the Minnesota State Court Administrator’s Office. Staff for the Minnesota State Court Administrator’s Office could not provide any information on the changes to their status. The story below has been updated. Continue reading →

Dede Evavold creates confusion over jail sentence

April 19, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold was not required to report to jail today, despite Evavold herself publishing documents which claimed she was scheduled to serve 15 days in jail starting on April 19, 2018, and continuing each April 19 until 2023.

Evavold created the confusion last year when she published documents which detailed her scheduled for reporting to jail for the next six years related to her felony convictions for her role in the disappearance of Samantha Rucki and her sister Gianna, who were abducted near their home on Lakeville by their mother Sandra Grazzini-Rucki, during a custody and divorce proceeding.

After reviewing court documents which conflicted with Evavold’s claims, court staff at the Dakota County Judicial Center was able to verify that the information posted by Evavold was incorrect and she was not required to report to jail today.

Dede Evavold (in white) sits in the front row of the Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee next to Michelle MacDonald (in red) on April 17, 2018.

In a bizarre unrelated development, Evavold attended a public committee hearing of the Minnesota Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this week. Evavold was seen on public television sitting and chatting with Michelle MacDonald, who is Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney.

Evavold served as MacDonald’s campaign chair and manager during MacDonald’s unsuccessful bid for the Minnesota Supreme Court in 2014.

MacDonald’s law license was “conditionally reinstated” in the last few weeks by the Minnesota Supreme Court after her license was suspended related to her conduct while serving as Grazzini-Rucki’s family court attorney and her legal representation of Joseph Francis D’Costa. Continue reading →

Michelle MacDonald’s law license ‘conditionally reinstated’

March 31, 2018 Comments Off read Legal Developments, Michelle MacDonald

Michelle MacDonald’s law license has been “conditionally reinstated” by the Minnesota Supreme Court effective today subject to her completion of the written portion of the Bar exam “on the subject of professional responsibility…”

MacDonald will remain on supervised probation for two years with numerous conditions limiting her practice of law.

MacDonald has until January 17, 2019, to provide verification that she has completed the written portion of the Bar exam “on the subject of professional responsibility…” or she will be automatically re-suspended “pending proof of successful completion of the examination…”

A judicial referee appointed by the Minnesota Supreme Court recommended last year that MacDonald’s law license be suspended for a minimum of 60 days, followed by two years of probation, in response to an attorney complaint filed against MacDonald in August 2016.

The conditions of MacDonald’s two-year probation include that she will be supervised by an attorney appointed by the Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.

MacDonald is prohibited from engaging in “the solo practice of law,” and she must “work in a setting where she is in daily contact with, and under the direct supervision of another Minnesota licensed attorney.” Continue reading →

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki to be re-sentenced tomorrow

March 25, 2018 Comments Off read Legal Developments, Sandra Grazzini-Rucki

Sandra Grazzini-Rucki will be re-sentenced tomorrow after the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled Grazzini-Rucki could execute the remainder of her criminal sentence.

She later appealed her criminal conviction to the Minnesota Supreme Court, but the court rejected her petition.

Grazzini-Rucki will appear in court tomorrow at 9:00 AM at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings, Minnesota.

In July 2016, Grazzini-Rucki was found guilty on six counts of deprivation of parental rights for her role in the disappearance of her daughters.

The girls’ father, David Rucki, was awarded full custody of all five of his children in November 2013, while two of his daughters remained missing.

On November 18, 2015, the girls were found living on a ranch in northern Minnesota by law enforcement, headed by the Lakeville Police Department.

The Rucki sisters were missing for a total of 944 days and were reunited with their father days after they were found. They continue to live with their father and other siblings at the family’s home in Lakeville.

Since being convicted in July 2016 on six felony counts of deprivation of parental rights, Grazzini-Rucki, and her supporters have continued their behavior of making false allegations against David Rucki, his family, the media, law enforcement, and the judiciary.

Her disdain for law enforcement and the court system has become more flagrant, her rhetoric more incendiary, and her behavior increasingly dangerous.

Grazzini-Rucki is currently on probation for her role in the disappearance of her children, which she has repeatedly violated. Last March, Grazzini-Rucki announced that she and others would be targeting the family members of judges, attorneys, and county staff, including their children. Continue reading →

Court orders Dede Evavold to remain in jail overnight

March 20, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold will be held in jail overnight until a court hearing tomorrow after a judge in Dakota County declined to release Evavold after she appeared in court this morning for her first hearing after being arrested on Sunday on an outstanding warrant.

The warrant was issued after Evavold ignored a previous court order issued by Judge Kathleen Gearin which ordered Evavold to “remove ALL blogs/postings, social media postings, or internet postings” about David Rucki, his children, and other members of the Rucki family which violate a Harassment Restraining Order.

During the brief bail hearing at the Dakota County Judicial Center in Hastings, Evavold argued with Judge Christopher J. Lehmann, demanding that she be released on her own recognizance.

Just after 10:15 AM, Dede’s husband Darin Evavold, arrived at the courthouse with a laptop and went into the courtroom.

During the hearing, with his wife behind security glass, Darin stood up and frantically waved the laptop in an attempt to show they were working to comply with Judge Gearin’s order.

Darin Evavold admitted that Dede has not yet fully complied with Judge Gearin’s order, which was issued on March 1, 2018.

Both Dede and Darin Evavold were visibly angry at the conclusion of the court hearing.

Darin Evavold later left the courthouse with the laptop and yelled across the parking lot while he was photographed by media walking to his car.

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

Since her release from jail in January 2017, Evavold has repeatedly ignored the conditions of her probation and court orders by making repeated references to the Rucki family in her use of social media.

Continue reading →

UPDATE: Dede Evavold arrested in St. Cloud

March 18, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

UPDATE (8:00 AM, Sunday, March 18, 2018) – Dede Evavold has been booked into the Stearns County Jail.

A review this morning of Evavold’s blog and social media postings shows Evavold has still not fully complied with Judge Kathleen Gearin’s order. Continue reading →

Warrant issued for the arrest of Dede Evavold

March 18, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

UPDATE (5:30 PM, Sunday, March 18, 2018) – Dede Evavold was arrested at her home within the last hour on an outstanding warrant. This is a developing story, so stay tuned for updates.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Continue reading →

Court orders arrest warrant be issued for Dede Evavold

March 13, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

A judge in Dakota County has ordered that a warrant be issued “immediately” for the arrest and detention of Dede Evavold after she ignored a previous court order from March 1, 2018, which ordered Evavold to “remove ALL blogs/postings, social media postings, or internet postings” about David Rucki, his children, and other members of the Rucki family which violate a Harassment Restraining Order.

Judge Kathleen Gearin ordered Evavold to remove the content by 9:00 AM on March 9, 2018, or report to jail in Dakota County.

As of 9:00 AM on March 9, Evavold had not removed the content, nor had she reported to jail in Dakota County, as ordered by Judge Kathleen Gearin.

Not only did Evavold ignore a court order to “remove ALL” posts about the Rucki family from her blog and social media accounts, but she also published new material on March 9.

After Evavold missed the 9:00 AM deadline detailed in Judge Gearin’s order, the attorney for the Rucki family, Lisa Elliott, filed an Affidavit of Non-Compliance with the court because Evavold did not comply with Judge Gearin’s order.

Elliott also requested that a warrant be immediately issued for Evavold’s arrest for failure to comply with Judge Gearin’s order.

Judge Gearin signed the order that an arrest warrant be issued for Evavold yesterday afternoon.

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

Dede Evavold ignores court order to remove all posts about Rucki family, fails to report to jail

March 9, 2018 Comments Off read Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold ignored a court order issued by Judge Kathleen Gearin in Dakota County last week which ordered Evavold to “remove ALL blogs/postings, social media postings, or internet postings” about David Rucki, his children, and other members of the Rucki family which violate a Harassment Restraining Order by 9:00 AM today, or report to jail in Dakota County.

As of 9:00 AM, Evavold had not removed the content, nor had she reported to jail in Dakota County.

Elliott also requested that a warrant be immediately issued for Evavold’s arrest for failure to comply with Judge Gearin’s order.

As of 3:30 PM, Evavold’s blog, and social media accounts are still filled with posts and content about the Rucki family.

The request for an arrest warrant for Evavold had not been signed by the court.

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

Dede Evavold ordered to remove all posts about Rucki family, or go to jail

March 1, 2018 Comments Off read Angela Young, Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

A judge in Dakota County ordered Dede Evavold to “remove ALL blogs/postings, social media postings, or internet postings” about David Rucki, his children, and other members of the Rucki family which violate a Harassment Restraining Order granted by a court in Dakota County in the next eight days or she will go to jail for 30 days.

On Tuesday, Judge Kathleen Gearin found Evavold was in constructive civil contempt of court at an emergency hearing held at Dakota County Western Service Center in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

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

The emergency court hearing was scheduled after Lisa Elliott, who serves as the attorney for the Rucki family, filed an emergency motion with the court earlier this month which included over 200 pages of exhibits documenting Evavold’s repeated violations of a Harassment Restraining Order (HRO).

Elliott’s exhibits documented nearly 20 posts published on Evavold’s blog which violated the HRO since the last court hearing on December 13, 2017. At the court hearing, Evavold was reminded by Judge Philip Kanning that the HRO granted by Judge Karen Asphaug in July remains in effect.

In a court order released this afternoon, Judge Gearin went further than the posts identified by Elliott by ordering Evavold to “remove ALL blogs/postings, social media postings, or internet postings that refer to the Rucki family as named in the Harassment Restraining Order…”

If Evavold does not remove the posts by March 9, 2018, at 9:00 AM she will go to jail for 30 days. Continue reading →

Dede Evavold ordered to remove harassing posts about Rucki family, or she’ll go to jail for 30 days

February 27, 2018 Comments Off read Angela Young, Deirdre Evavold, Legal Developments

Dede Evavold was ordered to remove 20 blog posts about David Rucki, his children, and other members of the Rucki family which violate a Harassment Restraining Order (HRO) granted by a court in Dakota County by March 9, or she will go to jail for 30 days.

Judge Kathleen Gearin found Evavold was in constructive civil contempt of court at an emergency hearing held today at Dakota County Western Service Center in Apple Valley, Minnesota.

After finding Evavold in contempt of court, Judge Gearin sentenced Evavold to 30 days in jail for her failure to comply with orders issued in the case.

But Judge Gearin stayed the jail sentence for ten days, allowing Evavold to comply with her order by removing the posts from her blog.

If before March 9, 2018, at 9:00 AM, Evavold has complied with all of the orders issued, she will not have to report to jail in Dakota County.

“You may purge yourself from this contempt,” said Judge Gearing to Evavold.

Judge Gearin went on to remind Evavold that she faces further contempt of court charges if she continues to post about David Rucki, his children, and other members of the Rucki family.

Continue reading →