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The trial of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was halted Monday, the third day of jury selection, but officials said they will refile the felony invasion of privacy case using a special prosecutor.

of taking a photo of a partially nude woman without her consent. He has denied taking the photo, although he has acknowledged having an extramarital affair with the woman. She hasn't spoken publicly about the case. 

Her former husband told a local television station

Assistant St. Louis Circuit Attorney Ronald Sullivan announced that he was withdrawing the case Monday and said he wanted to switch to using a special prosecutor because Greitens' lawyers planned to call St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner as a witness in a case being conducted by her own subordinates. The defense attorneys have criticized her handling of the case and accused a private investigator she hired of committing perjury.

According to The Associated Press, Greitens told reporters outside the courtroom: "Today the prosecutor has dropped the false charges against me. This is a great victory and it has been a long time coming. ... This experience has been humbling and I have emerged from it a changed man."

A forensic expert has examined a cellphone used by the governor and has not found evidence of the nude photo. It is not known whether the phone examined is the same one Greitens was using during the time the photo allegedly was taken.

The governor has been accused of threatening that if the woman revealed their affair, damaging his political interests, he would distribute the photo.


A special investigative committee of the Missouri House has also issued a report saying the woman told her now-ex-husband that Greitens subjected her to 

.
The Missouri legislature has been considering whether to impeach Greitens and the Republican and Democratic leaders of the state House and Senate said Monday that process will continue, despite the developments in court. Their 

 said the "legislature is a separate and co-equal branch of government" with its own responsibilities.
In a separate prosecution, Greitens has been charged with 

Crime, Law and Justice

Politics and Government News

Barbara Campbell

Author

Jury selection was in its third day in the felony invasion-of-privacy case against Eric Greitens when the trial was halted. But officials said they would pursue the case using a special prosecutor.

Charge dropped in case of Missouri governor, but prosecutors plan to refile

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