Preston Ritter, Jr. Pleads Guilty In Conspiracy To Assault Judge & Defense Attorney
Preston Ritter, Jr. pled guilty to two counts of Retaliating Against a Participant in the Legal Process and two counts of Conspiracy to Commit 1st Degree Assault today for his role in a plot to harm Kenton District Judge Douglas Grothaus and local defense attorney Darrell Cox. The case is scheduled for formal, final sentencing before Kenton Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Lape on November 14, 2022. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Emily Arnzen is recommending Ritter, Jr. be sentenced to 5 years in prison, consecutive to a previously imposed 10 year sentence for possessing child pornography.
Ritter, Jr. was originally arrested on June 5, 2020 after Kenton County Police executed a search warrant on his Elsmere home and found numerous images of child pornography on electronic devices. After the arrest, his father, Preston Ritter, Sr. was arrested and charged with leaving threatening messages in the voicemail of multiple Kenton County Police investigators. Ritter, Jr. subsequently bonded out of jail but his father remained behind bars. Kenton County Police Detective Brian Jones then found recorded jail calls in which Ritter, Sr. is alleged to have instructed Ritter, Jr. to bond out another inmate who had allegedly agreed to beat Kenton District Judge Douglas Grothaus and the Ritters’ own defense attorney, Darrell Cox, with a baseball bat. In court, Ritter admitted to going to the Kenton County Detention Center and attempting to post the other inmate’s bond in furtherance of the plot to assault the judge and attorney. Ritter, Jr. apparently underestimated the amount of the inmate’s bond and failed to bring sufficient funds to actually get the man out of jail.
Ritter, Jr. was re-arrested for Retaliating Against a Participant in the Legal Process and Conspiracy to Commit 1st Degree Assault. Ritter, Jr. pled guilty to four counts of Possession of Matter Portraying a Sexual Performance By a Minor on November 10, 2021 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison on February 14, 2022. By law, the new sentence must run consecutive to the previously imposed 10 year sentence.
“The justice system won’t work if participants don’t feel safe,” said Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Emily Arnzen, “And that includes judges, and even defense attorneys!” Arnzen said it is not uncommon for witnesses to be threatened occasionally but threats against judges and lawyers is more uncommon. “We take threats to the justice system very seriously no matter who the victim is and those who attempt to bully their way to a desired outcome will always end up in prison!” said Arnzen.
Charges against Ritter, Sr. remain pending as the court attempts to find him a new attorney after his two previous attorneys withdrew from his case. Ritter, Sr. remains in the Kenton County Detention Center awaiting trial on October 25, 2022.
For additional information contact:
Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders
Posted on Wednesday, August 31st, 2022 @ 12:54PM
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