COURT HEARING: Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced to 4 to 30 years in prison

like this, put it in the box, okay, show Med. Without cameras, you just stood still. C. I have room for one more Med. There are two more seats here. Should I take all of them? We are still waiting for the victim's location if you haven't done so now. please silence your phones to R, yes you know what CA, yo, that's the lawyer, what can't, it's about CL. I think it's okay, session, John, presiding, you may take your seats. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the District Court, we are here to pass judgment. in the matter of the State of Utah v.

Ruby Frankie Miss Frankie is here with Mr. Winward Mr. Clark and Mr. Sham are here for the State of Utah and we are ready to proceed with sentencing. We are yes, the Council agreed on the terms of the sentence. as part of the correct plea agreement, that's correct, there is a pre-sentence investigative report on the matter. I have checked that everyone has seen it. Yeah, what about the Restitution Council? Before we continue with other matters, we would like to leave it open at this time. time, your honor, I can get into that, I might feel more comfortable if we get closer to get into that, is there a restitution agreement that we reserve that and for what period of time eight months is what we're anticipating, but but I?

I have not spoken to the Defendant Council about that, we have not discussed that, your honor, is there any objection? No, okay, what is the state's position on the sentencing? Your honor of the state, I will rise, the state respectfully requests that the

court

sentence Miss Frankie to consecutive

prison

terms for each of the four counts of aggravated child abuse. This sentence was agreed to by Miss Frankie and her plea agreement and is also recommended by adult probation and physical education. He committed horrific acts of child abuse from May to August 2023 Miss Frankie and her business partner held her two children, aged 9 and 11, when they turned 12, in a concentration camp-like environment.

The children were regularly denied food, sleeping water beds and virtually all forms of entertainment, they were isolated from others and hidden when people came to visit the house where the children were staying and the accused, the children were forced to perform physical tasks such as carrying loaded boxes up and down stairs and sitting on a wall or sitting against a wall without a chair or stool for hours at a time, they were also forced to perform manual labor outdoors in the extreme summer heat, to sometimes without shoes or socks. They were forced to stand outside on a cement patio in the summer heat for hours and even days at a time.

They beat them and killed the 12-year-old boy. regularly tied by the feet after he tried to escape in mid-July. Both children had extensive physical injuries from the abuse that required hospitalization when they were found. The Binding's injuries to the 12-year-old boy are particularly horrific, in addition to the physical abuse. The children were emotionally abused to the point that each believed to some extent that they deserved what was being done to them if the oldest of the children had not had the courage to run away and ask a neighbor to call the police Only God knows how much longer. he could have survived in that situation after being caught.

Ms. Frankie has shown considerable remorse, as evidenced by her agreeing to serve consecutive

prison

sentences and her willingness to cooperate with the State against Ms. H. Ms. Hildbrand, however, given the severity of the abuse she inflicted, the consecutive sentences are appropriate in this case, as Court Section 763 401 sets forth the factors that the

court

takes into account when determining whether consecutive or concurrent sentences should be imposed, those factors being the severity and circumstances of the crime, the number of victims, and the historical character and the rehabilitation needs. of the defendant as agreed upon in the plea agreement and as recommended by adult probation and consecutive probation sentences are appropriate, this is due to the severity of the abuse suffered by both victims, it could be argued that the Miss Frankie should receive a lesser sentence than Miss Hilderbrand because of her remorse and willingness to cooperate with the state; however, the Pardon and Parole Board will have broad latitude and may take those facts into account when determining how long each of the co-defendants will remain incarcerated.

In conclusion, we respectfully request the court. um, accept what was agreed to in the plea agreement and vital approval of probation is recommended and impose consecutive sentences, thank you for anything else from the state, no, your aor, Mr. lward, thank you, your honor, good morning in my few comments this morning and in the comments. what my client would like to do in a few minutes, we are not suggesting or asking that the court deviate from the stipulated ruling contained in the written gaming agreement. I want the court to know that through inspection and reflection Ruby Frankie has become a serious student of her own actions.

In the early days of my relationship with Ruby she was somewhat defensive and was still very much indoctrinated in a philosophy. which was destructive. Fortunately, Ry came to the Stark understanding of the Inheritors in her subsequent thought patterns and actions to say that she was horrified to realize this would be, to put it savagely, I marveled at how quickly Ruby abandoned her defensive stance and advanced towards the full acceptance of his actions and his sentence today, he has so far used his time in jail to unwrap the layers. about layers of deceit and deceit heaped upon her over the past four

years

by an unscrupulous individual Ruby realizes that she still has work to do to get rid of those thinking errors and reestablish a better, correct pattern of thought and behavior Ruby is She realizes that changing her way of thinking, restoring relationships and healing are not simple or easy tasks, however, she is committed to doing that work.

I would like the court to know that Ruby Frankie is a lovely, respectful and responsible person, open to feedback and addressing the consequences of her actions head-on and now ready to address your honor and accept your judgment thank you Judge Walton thank you Miss Frankie has a statement he would like to make thank you judge you don't have to bend over okay thank you I would like to make a statement with no intention of changing my stipulated sentence for the last four

years

. I chose to follow advice and guides that led me into a dark deception.

My distorted version of reality was largely uncontrolled, as it would isolate me from anyone who challenged me. I was made to believe that this world was an evil place full of police who control hospitals who damage government agencies who brainwash church leaders who lie in lust, husbands who refuse to protect, and children who need to be abused. My decision to believe and behave in this paranoia culminated in criminal activity. which is why I stand before you today ready to take responsibility. Jod Hill debrand was never my business partner nor was I ever her employee. I never received salaries or connections from her.

Jod worked as my son's counselor in 2019 and in 2020 I paid him. To be my mentor, it is important for me to demonstrate my REM moris and my repentance. Without guilt, I take full responsibility for my decisions and prefer to serve a prison sentence. Thanks to the Santa Clara officers and Ivan City police, Nick. Helman Brian PFO Sai pikit Mike Pondo in tobler John Ward D Lewis and the flower boss you were the angels that came and saved my children. I especially want to thank Detective J bate, she got me out of a situation that she didn't know how to get out of. and the moment she handcuffed me was the moment I gained my freedom you were not the controllers.

I went thanks to the medical staff at Inner Mountain Hospital. Her skill, tenderness, and professionalism helped heal my children, damn it, and I inflicted the wounds on them, not the hospital. Thank you to DCFS, Judge Basil of the Children's Justice Center, and other key adults. You gathered my children under your protection and offered them love, compassion, encouragement. It wasn't you who was doing the brainwashing. Thank you to my bishop Tom Hawks and my state president. Jim Nelson, for reminding me of the Lord's love for the lost, so much pain and suffering would have been avoided if he had followed and heeded his advice.

I was the one who was fooled, not you, thanks to the Washington County Attorney's Office, Ryan, the paralegal. and Discovery employees Eric Clark, you exemplified to me how justice and mercy must coexist. My positions are just that they offer security to my family, accountability to the public and showed me Mercy. Thanks to my attorney Lamar Winward and his staff. I would not be where I am today without them thanks to Randy Kester for his boundless energy in healing my family, my dear friends Pam and Roy. I am very sorry to have disappointed you because of your association with me, your innocence was called into question, my mother. -in-law father-in-law Kevin's family my cousins ​​aunts uncles nieces nephews and neighbors you all saw the warning signs long before me and did what you could you wanted to help but I pushed you away my mother and father I have been very miserable with you, You have offered me unconditional love and so I have offered you unconditional contempt, my siblings and their spouses because of my decision to wallow in a pigsty.

I have dragged your families through the mud in public, but when I wanted to return as a prodigal sister as opposed to the prodigal brother in the Bible, you broke stride with my parents and ran out to greet me. Your ability to love is unprecedented Kevin, my husband of over 23 years, you are the love of my life. I am so sorry to let you finish what we both started together, the end of our marriage is a tragedy and you are wrapped around my heart in a notd. I will never be able to undo it with my babies, my six little chicks that you are a part of.

I was the mother duck who constantly carried you to safety. I can see now that for the past four years I was in a deep undercurrent that led us into Danger. I would never have taken you to the Darkness knowing that I was so disoriented that I believed. Darkness was light and right was wrong. I would do anything in this world for you. My willingness to sacrifice everything for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly. I took from you everything that was soft and safe and good. I took your mother away from you, how scary.

This must have been for you. I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls. You are so valuable to me. I'm sorry, my choice to live in fear of the world has created a great vulnerability and blind spot for me where I have broken hearts and made people suffer and betrayed the sacred trust to see my community respond to my accusations with Justice, mercy, Grace and love is even more evidence to me of how wrong I have been, this world is full of truly good people and ultimately I am sorry for twisting God's word and distorting his doctrines.

My greatest wish is to one day appear in his court blameless and confident and judge Walton. I know that coming before you today is a necessary step toward that end. Thank you and your staff for providing me with the opportunity to take responsibility and answer for my charges. I am honored and willing to serve a pre-prison sentence for as long as it takes to continue unraveling all of this information that I have believed and bought, swallowed and acted on. and for my family to recover and the community to recover and I understand that this will take time.

I am committed to continuing to learn until all my toxic layers are removed and I am ready to re-enter as a contributing member of our beautiful Society, thank you Judge Walon, thank you for your statement, Miss Frankie, anything else, Mr. Winward, no, your your honor, just before the court imposes the sentence, no, your honor, the sentence will be that Miss Frankie serve four counts, four, one to 15E sentences based on her. sentences for four counts of aggravated child abuse again will be served consecutively pursuant to the agreement of the parties and the applicable statute according to the applicable statute the court finds that consecutive sentences are appropriate Miss Frankie, the last thing I need to tell you is that you have only 30 days to file or perfect an appeal of any error of the court by filing a written notice of appeal with the clerk of court, if you do not do so within 30 days, you will lose your right to appeal.

You also have the right to the assistance of an attorney. on appeal and to have one appointed if you cannot afford to arrange your own restitution as agreed by the parties will remain open for a period of 8 months either party may bring that matter back before the court report within that period of time, no more, your honor, honor, thank you, thank you, the next matter before the court is the case of the state of Utah versus Hild Debrandt 23151 763 Mr. Terry is here representing Ms.Hilda Brandt, Mr. Sham and Mr. Clark. They are here representing the state, your honor, we anticipate 10:30.

I'm not saying we have to wait until then, but can I have a moment? Please come closer, please. 30, don't get up B, it's back in session. The Rec Court calls the matter state. of Utah versus Hild Debrandt case 23150 1763 Councilor Pres Miss Hild Debrandt is present Council there is an investigation report of the PR sentence I have read it everyone has seen it and reviewed it yes your honor yes your honor again the sentence was stipulated in the At the time of the declaration agreement, what record should we make other than moving forward with the sentence? um, your honor, it would be repetitive.

So I had the same statement just with the last few paragraphs where I differentiated between Miss fr Miss H, the brand, okay? Let's talk about cleanup and restitution issues first. We stipulate to keep it open for eight months. It is appropriate, your honor, since we do not have any evidence regarding restitution and that is because it is still in the process of being gathered by uh, the county attorney's office it is entirely appropriate for the court to not issue orders regarding to restitution apart from reserving all issues related to restitution and we have no problem with the deadline of 8 8 months and the court order that was previously issued by the court will remain in force, at least until that time it will remain in force.

Until further order of this court, all right, Mr. Clark, upon your honor, the State of Utah respectfully requests that the court commit Ms. Hilderbrand to consecutive prison terms on each of the four counts of aggravated child abuse of the who has pleaded guilty. She agreed to her plea agreement and is also recommended for probation and adult probation. Miss Hill thebrand committed horrific acts of child abuse from May to August 2023, she and her business partner held two children aged 9 and 11 who were turning 12 in a concentration camp-like environment. In her home in Ivan City, the children were regularly denied food, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment, isolated from others, and hidden away.

When people came to visit the house, they were made to perform physical tasks such as carrying loaded boxes. and walking down stairs and doing wall sitting or sitting against a wall without the aid of a chair or stool for hours at a time, they were forced to perform manual labor outdoors in the extreme summer heat, often without shoes or socks, they were also They were forced to stand outside on a cement patio in the summer heat for hours and even days. They were beaten and the 12-year-old boy was regularly tied hand and foot after he tried to escape in mid-July.

Both children suffered serious physical injuries from the abuse that required hospitalization. to treat The Binding's wounds are particularly serious, in addition to the physical abuse, the children were emotionally abused, each believing to some extent that they deserved what was being done to them if the older of the two children had not had the courage to flee. and asking a neighbor to call the police God only knows how much longer he could have survived after being caught. Miss Hildbrand has shown little or no remorse for her actions in telephone conversations which will be provided in full to the Pardon and Parole Board and which she knew were recorded.

She has repeatedly claimed that she is the victim and the children of the perpetrators. He has gone so far as to say that the things that are said in this process and that are covered by the media today will be full of lies, the combination of three factors making Miss Hillbrand a significant threat to the community. First, the severity of the abuse she caused against young children, second, her attitude that everything she did was justified and that she is being unjustly imprisoned, and third, her training as a therapist and her ability to use online resources to convince others to follow your guide Utah Code Section 76 3401 sets out three factors that the court must consider when determining whether to impose concurrent or consecutive sentences: the first is the severity and circumstances of the defense, the second is the number of victims and the third is the historical character and need for rehabilitation of the defendant as agreed to in the plea agreement and as recommended by final probation and consecutive sentences of probation are appropriate here, this is due to the severity of the abuse suffered by the two victims and the dire need Ms.

Hildbrand will be rehabilitated so that she no longer poses a risk to the community the state respectfully requests that she be

sentenced

to four consecutive terms thank you Mr. Clark Mr. Terry thank you your honor uh I will be brief as is always the case in cases that come before the courts there are two sides to every case and as um and even in a case like this which is still the case um there are many accusations regarding these two individuals um Miss Frankie and my client, Miss Hild Debrandt, the only facts in this case. that are adjudicated facts are those set forth in the pleading agreement that she entered into that she freely, consciously and voluntarily entered into those facts those adjudicated facts are significant certainly provide a basis for the allegations and provide a basis for the judgment stipulated in this In this case , my experience with Ms.

Hilderbrandt is that she is not the person she has been portrayed as, but having said that she has accepted responsibility in this case, she has entered into this plea agreement with a stipulated sentence of four consecutive sentences. She did that. at the time you entered into the plea agreement knowing that that would be the Court's order, you stand in court today knowing that that would be the Court's order and you fully accept that you accept responsibility and accept the consequences of your conduct and we present it to the court as per the stipulated agreement Mr. AR, you suggested that there are two parties in every case.

I generally agree with you. Ms. Hilderbrand did not make a statement to the AP and in the course of the investigative report Prenten corrected why she did not make a statement, she wanted to reserve the right to make a statement in court today and she has a brief statement that she wants to read, your honor, okay and M H from brand go ahead, I sincerely love these children, I want them to heal physically and emotionally one of the reasons I did not go to trial is that I did not want them to emotionally relive the experience that would have been detrimental to them.

My hope and prayer is that they heal and move on to have beautiful lives. I am willing to submit to what the state fills would be an appropriate amount of time to make the distribution as a result and in response to her question, her honor, I knew that whatever she could say to the author of the report they would probably intend would sound empty. and interested and perhaps if she does today, but I know that my client in the statement she makes in court today that that statement is absolutely sincere, Hilda Brandt does not recognize that it is her behavior that causes the harm to the children that she is mentioned in her statement, your honor, she acknowledges that she was with Miss Frankie, um, that she made decisions regarding the discipline of those children that were wrong, that caused harm to those children, she fully acknowledges that and accepts responsibility for all that. right, anything else, no, you're in, no, you're in, okay, hild De brand, this circumstance is tragic, to a large extent, of course, it is largely due to your fault, to any extent, your conduct In this case it was disastrous for these children, adults are supposed to protect children.

Adults with specialized training in particular are supposed to protect children. you didn't do that in this case in this case you terrorize the children and the results have been tragic, that's what happened to these children and your philosophy in dealing with them, frankly, seems distant. of reality or any objective standard of decency or even common sense and the court determines that it is appropriate for you to serve a prison sentence, the court determines, based on statute, Utah code, the number of victims and the history , the character and needs of the defendant that consecutive sentences are appropriate, the court imposes four sentences of 1 to 15 years to be served again consecutively for each of the four counts of aggravated child abuse.

The last thing I need to tell you is that you only have 30 days to file or perfect an appeal from any judge of the court by filing a written notice of appeal with the clerk of the court. If you do not do so, you will lose your right to appeal, which must be made in writing, and again within 30 days you will also have the right to the assistance of counsel and to have a lawyer appointed if you cannot afford to hire your own. thank you we are on recess thank you your honor thank you your honor