| Scott Ritter criminal case costs prosecutor her job Handling of charges against ex-U.N. inspector sparks action Staff reports
First published: Monday, January 20, 2003 Colonie-- The 2001 arrest of former U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter came to light late last week when an Albany County assistant district attorney was fired over her handling of the case. Ritter -- an outspoken critic of President Bush's plan for war against Iraq -- was arrested by Colonie police in June 2001 after he allegedly was caught in an Internet sex-sting operation, according to a published report. Ritter, of Delmar, was arrested on a misdemeanor charge after he allegedly had a sexual chat on the Internet with an undercover investigator posing as an underage girl, The Daily News reported Sunday, citing law enforcement sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A judge sealed the case after it was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal. Colonie police on Sunday declined to discuss the case, citing the sealing order. Last week, District Attorney Paul Clyne fired Assistant District Attorney Cynthia Preiser for her handling of the case, saying Preiser failed to notify him about a "sensitive" case. Clyne said he launched an internal inquiry into the matter after a reporter from The Daily Gazette of Schenectady asked about a case involving Ritter. "Based on that inquiry, I determined that I should have been apprised of the existence of the case," Clyne told the Times Union. "I was not, so Cindy Preiser was fired for failure to keep me abreast of what was going on in Colonie court." Clyne declined to discuss Ritter's arrest. No one answered the phone at Ritter's home on Sunday. Ritter, a 41-year-old native of Gainesville, Fla., moved to the Capital Region two years ago with his wife and twin daughters. Ritter once led a weapons inspection team in Iraq, but in recent months he's gained attention as an outspoken critic of a new U.S. war with Iraq. Ritter has aired his views on CNN, at news conferences and in numerous interviews. When Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, Ritter, then a Marine, was sent to Saudi Arabia to help determine where Saddam Hussein was hiding Scud missiles. Ritter left the Marine Corps after the war and was hired by the U.N. to lead a weapons inspection team specializing in concealment. At the time, Ritter said Iraq was "winning its bid to retain its prohibited weapons." But Ritter seemingly has had a change of heart and now speaks out about a U.S. war against Iraq. He claims inspections could keep Hussein in check. In a move that led many to label him a traitor, Ritter on Sept. 8 became the first American to speak to the Iraq National Assembly. He told the Middle East nation that it needed to allow weapons inspectors to return.
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