Ritter questions federal action

Albany Times Union ^ | January 26, 2002 | BOB GARDINIER

[HAL9000]

Ritter questions federal action

Ex-arms inspector is critical of the timing of ruling to unseal 2001 arrest records

Former U.N. chief weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Saturday questioned the decision by federal investigators to reopen sealed files in a two-year old case involving charges he allegedly tried to use Internet to lure an underage girl to a sexual encounter.

"I wish that everyone would understand how much the timing of this whole thing just stinks," Ritter said Saturday from his Delmar home.

Ritter declined to comment further.

Ritter, who resigned his position as chief weapons inspector in 1998, has become a high-profile opponent of President Bush's plans for war against Iraq and has traveled to that country as a peace advocate.

He was to travel to the country last week on a mission of peace when it was revealed that the 41-year-old was arrested in June 2001 and charged with a Class B misdemeanor for allegedly to set up a sexual rendezvous with a person whom he thought was a 16-year-old girl but who was really an undercover Colonie cop.

The case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, meaning the charges would be dropped and the records sealed if he didn't break the law for a six-month period.

But last week, after news of that arrest surfaced, State Supreme Court Justice Joseph C. Teresi signed an order unsealing the Ritter file after a request by federal prosecutors in the Albany office of the U.S. Attorney who, sources said, may be looking to further prosecute the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Pericak and Thomas Spina Jr., who has been prosecuting computer crime cases for years, sought the unsealing of the records, sources said.

Now that federal prosecutors have the records, they must obtain permission from the U.S. Department of Justice before they can bring a prosecution.

A possible federal case against Ritter could include the charge of using the Internet to entice a minor to engage in criminal activity, sources have said.

[Grut]

Schadenfreude is always enjoyable, but isn't this a pretty good example of "make enough things against the law and you can prosecute anybody for something?"

Ritter may very well have acted badly towards the girl but he's right, the sudden interest of the federal government in criminally prosecuting one of its critics on charges of an old crime unrelated to that criticism does stink.

[Bonaparte]

"The ancillary compulsions have shattered the exquisite enablement."

He neglected to adjust the impellances in omnidirectional mode.

[Bonaparte]

"You make yourself big in the media, and any nasty stuff in your background will come out."

Curtis Mayfield said it best, did he not?

But if you lose don't ask no questions why,
Only game you know is do or die,
Ah, Super-Fly!

Ritter over-matched himself. Now he's going to be held up and whipped for 12 rounds. And his mama ain't comin'.

[spectre]

Look what humiliation he passed off to his twin daughters. I guess this means their friends won't be allowed any "sleepovers" at the Ritter household...geeze.

Has his wife taken the girls and left him yet? She should.

sw

[syriacus]

Ritter may very well have acted badly towards the girl but he's right, the sudden interest of the federal government in criminally prosecuting one of its critics on charges of an old crime unrelated to that criticism does stink.

Didn't the local DA fire the local Assistant DA for mishandling the prosecution of Ritter? Should the DA have said, "That's an old case, so the "handling" of it is not going to be investigated. Let's let the ADA get away with it?"

Every time someone mishandles a case do we have to give him/her a clean slate because we didn't catch it immediately?

Perhaps Ritter's "attentions" to underage girls where he used to live should be investigated. Chances are they will find something happened at a BK in his previous hometown.

[syriacus]

the sudden interest of the federal government in criminally prosecuting one of its critics on charges of an old crime unrelated to that criticism does stink.

If he eventually serves time, for a sex offense, it probably won't be quite the same as serving time for spying, or treason, or aiding an avowed enemy of the US.

[anniegetyourgun]

Nope....they are what they support.

[Bonaparte]

My guess is that the file on Ritter is huge. Patience.

[Lancey Howard]

Okay, I checked out your link to that Democrat Underwear and it looks to me like this guy "Pitt" enjoys being idolized by college kids and assorted goofballs and losers. But do you get the impression that Pitt might hiding something? Maybe he's into little boys or something and so he figures he better high-tail it? Do pedophiles like to hang around together? Maybe Pitt and Ritter call each other on the phone from various Burger King parking lots while they're with their young "dates" and talk to each other like Bill Clinton and Dick Morris.

[Bonaparte]

"Look what humiliation he passed off to his twin daughters."

That's the worst part (so far). I wouldn't blame them if they wound up changing their names.

[Bonaparte]

"...is led away in chains, still shouting about the timing."

And forevermore, Marines everywhere will turns their backs on him.

[Tijeras_Slim]

The sweetest thing is that to save his sorry butt, Scottie may have to roll over on his buddy Saddam. One week, he's the biggest "Iraq has Nothing" gadfly, the next week the story magically changes.

Regards, Slim

[Bonaparte]

"Ohhh no, not poor Scott..... John Ashcroft set him up..."

All of this could well come back to haunt them when and if the feds produce credible witnesses who were molested by him. I wonder what these creeps will say then -- when these girls take the stand and tearfully testify on national television. Oh, please, dear Lord, we already know how much You have done, but let this be televised!

[Lancey Howard]

Ritter may very well have acted badly towards the girl but he's right, the sudden interest of the federal government in criminally prosecuting one of its critics on charges of an old crime unrelated to that criticism does stink.

You kidding? The feds aren't looking into Ritter.
They are looking into the apparent coverup and whitewashing of his arrest(s) and why the DA was kept in the dark. I'm sure they will also be looking into who, if anybody, may have been blackmailing Ritter. The whole sorry episode stinks to high heaven.
This "sudden interest" by the feds is about a lot more than the scumbag pedophile, Scott Ritter. He's already toast anyway.

[Catspaw]

It's all about you, isn't it Scotty?

Narcissists are like that.

[Bonaparte]

"...but he's right, the sudden interest of the federal government in criminally prosecuting one of its critics on charges of an old crime unrelated to that criticism does stink."

Oh, give it a rest! What were the feds supposed to do? Wait 20 years until the war on terror was over? Wait until Ritter voluntarily retired from anti-war activism? Would it have pleased you if they waited for the perfect, politically inopportune moment, while Ritter molested his way through as many kids as he could? He's an ongoing menace to the community wherever he goes.

A possible crime was brought to their attention and very publicly I might add. They are paid to investigate these crimes and to prosecute when the evidence is there. They are not paid to ignore criminal behavior.

[dogbyte12]

[Cautor]

Methinks Pitt has a problem like Ritters. When the heat of the m*at equals the angle of the dangle, the jig is up for Pitt.

[TLBSHOW]

Funny thing dogbyte12, most threads that are started here are started using the cut and paste method. Works well, thanks for the picture.

[TC Rider]

I just went and visited the loonies.

I find it amazing that none of them question the fact of a 40 something guy soliciting teens on the internet.

So long as they find nothing wrong with that behavior, they'll never question the possibility of Sadam flipping Ritter with incriminating evidence.

I'm guessing that Pitt may have been at a few parties with Ritter.