Disgraced Astronaut's Romantic Rival Thought Affair Was Over

March 29, 2007 — -- Lisa Nowak, who was forced out of the astronaut corps because of criminal charges she faces in connection with her attack on a romantic rival, has reported for duty to the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, Texas. She will develop a curriculum for flight lessons.

Nowak, a Navy captain who has logged more than 1,500 hours in different aircraft, faces an uncertain future. She had pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping and burglary with assault and battery.

How strong is the case against Nowak? Criminal defense attorney Chris Tritico, who represented Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh during his appeal, says the prosecution has a good case. "It's rare for someone to actually be caught in the act, as she was," Tritico said. "It's much easier to prosecute someone who was caught on the scene, with so much evidence in hand. There are surveillance cameras showing her stalking her victim and her own statement to police."

According to Tritico, in almost every criminal case, a plea bargain is offered at some point. The issue is this: Are the terms attractive enough to the defense lawyers to induce them to take it? "If the plea bargain offer means Nowak would go to jail for 10 years, the defense would be more inclined to bet that a jury would not sentence a first-time offender to prison time."

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Several sources at NASA have told ABC News on background that they would like to see a plea bargain. The prospect of a trial, with a camera in the courtroom and astronauts called to testify under oath about adultery doesn't make many people at the space agency happy.

NASA is already struggling to deal with a reduced budget and a space shuttle with a damaged external tank that reduces launch options this year, while at the same time trying to move forward to plan complex missions to the moon and Mars.

While some of Nowak's friends have publicly wondered about her mental state, Tritico says Nowak would not qualify to plead not guilty by reason of insanity under the Florida definition of insanity. But he says he would definitely raise some kind of mental duress issue.