Kim Gardner's Office Loses One-Third of Attorneys Since February

Nearly one-third of the attorneys in St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner’s office have left in the past two months, leaving a decimated staff to handle thousands of criminal and child support cases in the city. The staffing situation has become especially dire in recent weeks, with cases being dismissed and refiled by prosecutors who aren’t ready for trial, and hearings being delayed. Two judges got so frustrated with prosecutors not showing up for court in cases assigned to Polta and Desilets that they filed to hold Gardner in contempt. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit in February to remove Gardner from office, and a bill moving through the Missouri Legislature seeks to strip Gardner of most of her power.