By Kathy Laird
Heather Grasley, 39, of Bucyrus is facing multiple charges in Crawford County Common Pleas Court. Judge Sean Leuthold heard two motions regarding Grasley Monday morning.
First, Grasley requested a new court-appointed attorney. In an unusual move, Leuthold allowed her to have a different attorney than the court originally appointed to her case.
“Because you are facing more than 10 years in prison, I will allow this change,” Leuthold said.
He appointed Carlos Crawford to handle Grasley’s case.
Also during Grasely’s hearing, the court had to make a determination on how to handle her community control during the last weeks of her pregnancy. Grasley is due to give birth sometime near November 25.
Citing that the Crawford County Jail is not equipped to handle pre-natal care and birth, Leuthold reluctantly reduced Grasley’s bond from $750,000 to a personal recognizance bond. However, he ordered that Grasley be on full-house arrest with a GPS bracelet. The only time she is permitted to leave her mother’s home in Nevada is for medical appointments.
“I don’t trust you not to take drugs and I don’t trust you to not take off,” Leuthold said. “I have to consider the safety of you and the safety of your unborn baby. I’m choosing the lesser of two evils here.”
In a final order, Leuthold said that as soon as the baby is delivered, Grasley is to be returned to jail, immediately.
Also seen in the courtroom was 51-year-old Michael Garverick, who was arrested over the weekend. He had been on the run for 12 years on a fifth-degree felony.
Garverick did not show up to his sentencing on a forgery charge.
The judge noted that Garverick was not prison eligible for the offense.
“You have made a big mess out of this,” Leuthold said.
It was ordered that Garverick be held without bond for the time being while the court decides how to handle the situation.