Rucci to appeal 2 cases to high court

AUSTINTOWN — Sebastian Rucci said he will appeal two cases to the Ohio Supreme Court that he recently lost.

The embattled business owner had appealed to the 7th District Court of Appeals on convictions from 2013 and 2014 in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown. Both cases involved the Go Go Girls Cabaret. Rucci now owns the rebranded California Palms Hotel & Suites, which has been open for several weeks where the Go Go had been before being closed years ago.

“I am going to take them up one more level and have it reviewed further,” Rucci said.

“The judge got it right,” said Ken Cardinal, Mahoning County assistant prosecutor, who handled both cases in Austintown.

Rucci’s 30-day jail sentence from the 2014 conviction will be set by Judge David A. D’Apolito in the coming weeks, but would be delayed until appeals are finished.

The 2013 case centered on liquor violations from at least Nov. 15, 2011, to Dec. 2, 2011, when Rucci did not have a liquor license at the Go Go, court documents said. Rucci argued that he had an injunction against the Ohio Division of Liquor Control until appeals were heard on his liquor license being denied.

The prosecution said he did not have a license during that time period when an undercover operation was done by state agents. Rucci argued his final appeal measure was not “heard” by the 10th District Court of Appeals, after the Liquor Commission and the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas had decided against him. The 10th District, however, ruled that the matter already had been decided.

For the complete story, read Tuesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com