Republican Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has given Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner a choice after he said she has repeatedly failed in keeping the residents of her city safe from crime: resign by noon tomorrow or be removed from office.
“We are giving Kim Gardner until noon tomorrow to resign. If she refuses, she will face immediate removal proceedings in the form of a writ of quo warranto brought by our office,” Bailey tweeted.
The declaration by Bailey was announced on Twitter and comes after a major incident this past weekend drew public outcry, when a man driving a car who had repeatedly violated the conditions of his bond hit a teenaged pedestrian, critically injuring her.
Janae Edmondson, 16, was in St. Louis with her family last Saturday for a volleyball tournament; while walking in a crosswalk in the city’s downtown area at around 8:40 p.m., a car driven by Daniel Riley, 21, failed to yield, striking both Edmondson and several other motorists.
Edmondson, who had committed to playing Division II volleyball in college, is currently in critical condition, with serious injuries to both of her legs; it is unlikely that she will ever be able to play volleyball again.
At the time of the accident, Riley was out on bond for an August 2020 robbery case.
Bailey accused Gardner of creating more victims of crime in her city, as opposed to preventing them.
“As AG, I want to protect the people of St. Louis, and that includes protecting victims of crime and finding justice for them,” Bailey said.
“Instead of protecting victims, Circuit Attorney Gardner is creating them. My office will do everything in its power to restore order, and eliminate the chaos in St. Louis caused by Kim Gardner’s neglect of her office,” he concluded.
Bailey’s tenure as St. Louis Circuit Attorney has been widely criticized – even by her fellow Democrats – for her “soft on crime” approach to justice.
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