Former teacher Stephanie Ragusa gained national attention for showing her teeth in court and her tattoos to teenage boys.
But Monday morning as she accepted a plea deal, there had been fewer smiles and any words of endearment had been aimed at her father. She mouthed “I adore you” to a teary-eyed Riccardo Ragusa sitting in the back of the courtroom.
“He loves her very much and he’s certainly concerned with her welfare and just very much wants to have her home,” said Ragusa’s attorney Robert Herce about the support Stephanie has received from her dad.
And acquiring Ragusa house as soon as feasible may be the aim of today’s plea package. Ragusa faced a series of trials for acquiring sex with two students ages 14 and 16. If convicted, she could have gone to prison for decades. By pleading guilty today, the deal caps achievable prison time at 10 many years.
At Ragusa’s June sentencing, her attorney will argue for a lot less prison time. Herce says the two many years Ragusa has already spent in jail is adequate, especially when compared to similar instances. After acquiring sex having a student, local teacher Debra Lafave avoided prison and was sentenced to home arrest and probation.
“I think comparatively speaking, she’s (Ragusa) served a lot more time than most,” said Herce.
Whilst final details from the plea deal have been ironed out just Monday morning, it had been inside the works for a while. The prosecutor offered the plea offer only after speaking using the young victims and their families.
“They are certainly relieved,” stated prosecutor Rita Peters. “They want to put this behind them.”
Peters declined to say what she will recommend towards the judge at sentencing. A June 15 court date has been set.
[...] was sentenced nowadays. Appearing just before Circuit Judge Chet Tharpe in Hillsborough County, Stephanie Ragusa was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentence may be met with distinct reactions across the [...]
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[...] was sentenced nowadays. Appearing just before Circuit Judge Chet Tharpe in Hillsborough County, Stephanie Ragusa was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The sentence may be met with distinct reactions across the [...]