ST. LOUIS (TND) — State officials in Missouri have taken formal legal action against St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner for alleged neglect and failure to do her job properly.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey gave Gardner an ultimatum Wednesday: either resign by noon on Thursday or face legal action.
The ultimatum came after a St. Louis man named Daniel Riley, charged in a 2020 armed robbery case, repeatedly violated the conditions of his bond but was allowed to stay free, according to local reports.
Following the alleged probation violations, authorities say he then severely injured a teenager in a car crash, who reportedly had to have both her legs amputated.
During a press conference Thursday afternoon, Gardner resisted the idea her office is squarely to blame, claiming her staff filed three requests to rescind Riley's bond that a judge failed to approve.
“While it is true my office could have done more, to say we did nothing is not only disingenuous, but is willfully ignorant of the reality of our court system,” Gardner said, according to KTVI.
"This is about the rule of law and about justice," Bailey said at a press conference of his own at noon Thursday. "There are a number of issues that we see coming from the city of St. Louis and the circuit attorney's office that all establish neglect in office, and it is time for her to resign."
"We are hopeful she will make the right decision, and if not, we are prepared to move forward with legal action," Bailey indicated.
Bailey said it was up to the courts to control how long it will take to remove Gardner if she chooses not to resign.
"We'll move as swiftly as the process allows us to," Bailey indicated, when pressed that compelling her removal could take years.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said Thursday he supports using legal means to compel Gardner to leave.
"There's plenty of evidence right now that she is not doing what she needs to be doing as the prosecutor of St. Louis City," Gov. Parson said. "I believe that's not just my opinion. I think when you look at a record that's been consistent with violent crime in that area, with the issues they face, this is nothing new. It's just a matter that's probably brought it up to the top."
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