The far-reaching Signature Pharmacy steroid scandal has implicated numerous professional athletes and entertainers. Several months later, an Albany County judge has dismissed the criminal indictments against the principals at Signature Pharmacy due to the incompetence of prosecutor David Soares. The Albany County District Attorney is not permitted to seek new charges against Stan and Naomi Loomis, the Signature Pharmacy owners, pharmacist Michael Loomis or Signature Pharmacy employees Kirk Calvert and Anthony Palladino (”Judge throws out indictments for key figures in steroid case,” September 11).

But Judge Stephen W. Herrick, of Albany County Court, found that mistakes by the prosecution had prejudiced the case against five people associated with Florida-based Signature Pharmacy, which prosecutors had alleged was the supplier of at least $10 million worth of controlled substances sold to customers in New York. They are Naomi Loomis and Robert Loomis, the husband and wife who own the pharmacy; Mr. Loomis’s brother, Kenneth Michael Loomis, a pharmacist at the company; and two former employees, Kirk Calvert and Tony Palladino.

George E. LaMarche III, a lawyer for Kenneth Michael Loomis and Mr. Calvert, praised the judge’s decision, calling it “gratifying and a tremendous relief for everyone involved.”

If upheld, Judge Herrick’s decision could unravel other elements of Mr. Soares’s criminal investigation. Lawyers for people who had previously negotiated guilty pleas with the district attorney said they would be closely examining Judge Herrick’s decision to see if it contained grounds to reverse their clients’ guilty pleas.

The entire Signature Pharmacy steroid scandal is beginning to be exposed as the misguided witchhunt that it is. Nonetheless, David Soares vows to continue his anti-steroid crusade by appealing the ruling against his steroid witch hunt.

Soares said, “The online pharmaceutical distribution centers, especially those that are using doctors that are not visiting with patients and writing illegal prescriptions, those are people who should be brought to justice, and we will continue our pursuit of justice until an appellate court has had an opportunity to review the matter.”

 Unfortunately, the political opportunist David Soares faces re-election on November 4, 2008 and may not be given the opportunity to continue his “pursuit of justice” via a steroid witch-hunt.