State to get writing sample from Ragusa

TAMPA -- A judge granted Hillsborough prosecutors' request today to obtain a handwriting sample from Stephanie Ragusa, a former teacher charged with having sex with her students.

The state hopes to match Ragusa's handwriting to writings that were in the possession of one of her victims, prosecutors said. A motion said that Ragusa wrote notes to the victim, a handwritten last will and testament, notes regarding the purchase of a car for the victim, and various cards and photographs of Ragusa with inscriptions. All the writings relate to the student who was 15 when authorities say Ragusa began having sex with him and who turned 16 during the relationship.

Circuit Judge J. Rogers Padgett denied a second request by the state, this time to prohibit Ragusa from having any direct contact with minors. Sparking the motion was a letter that Ragusa wrote from the Hillsborough County jail to Nick Bollea, 17, son of wrestler Hulk Hogan. He is in the Pinellas County jail serving an eight-month sentence for reckless driving with serious bodily injury. Ragusa wrote to express sympathy for Bollea, and noted that both their cases received a lot of publicity.

Robert Herce, Ragusa's attorney, said there was no basis for the state's request to limit Ragusa's ability to contact anyone. "It was a very generic letter. There was nothing inappropriate about it," he said.

Colleen Jenkins, Times staff writer