Judge dismisses contempt charge against Kim Gardner in murder case.

A judge declined to hold St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner in contempt of court but said her stressed, understaffed office allowed a murder case to "(fall) through the cracks" when a prosecutor went on leave. Jonathon Jones, 18, was set to face trial last week on charges he shot and killed 29-year-old Brandon Scott near the Gateway Arch grounds in 2021, but no one from Gardner's office showed up for the first day of trial. Gardner's office has struggled for years with understaffing, but the issue has become especially dire in recent weeks.