Missouri AG Demands Kim Gardner's Resignation, Threatens Quo Warranto Proceedings

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As we reported, there is a growing chorus of calls for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to be held accountable for the atrocious bungling by her office of the prosecution of Daniel Riley, the failure of which contributed to his being free to speed through downtown St. Louis Saturday evening, blow through a yield sign, and cause a horrific crash which resulted in a 17-year-old girl losing both of her legs. This is just the latest in a long line of incidents showcasing Gardner’s incompetence and ideologically-driven refusal to do her job

That chorus includes fellow Democrats like Mayor Tishaura Jones and Alderwoman Anne Schweitzer, as well as numerous Republican officials.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has now issued a statement calling for Gardner to submit her resignation by noon on Thursday or face quo warranto proceedings.

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.
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) February 23, 2023

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.
— Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@AGAndrewBailey) February 23, 2023

The AG’s full statement:

Attorney General Andrew Bailey Demands St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner Resign Or Face Removal
Feb 22, 2023, 19:09 PM by AG Bailey
JEFFERSON CITY, MO. – In an effort to protect the people of St. Louis, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is demanding the resignation of St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner by noon on February 23, or face immediate removal proceedings in the form of a writ of quo warranto brought by his office.
“As Attorney General, I want to protect the people of St. Louis, and that includes protecting victims of crime and finding justice for them,” said Attorney General Andrew Bailey. “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.”
On February 18, 2023, Janae Edmonson, a teenage athlete, was walking back to her hotel in downtown St. Louis after a volleyball tournament when she was run down by a speeding vehicle and lost both of her legs. One was severed, and the other maimed. Ms. Edmonson survived the crash due to her father’s quick action and emergency medical training, but both of her legs were amputated.
The driver of the speeding vehicle, Daniel Riley, should never have been in that car. He is a dangerous gunman who should have been in jail. In 2020, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged Riley with First Degree Robbery and Armed Criminal Action for stealing a firearm from a victim at gunpoint. The Circuit Attorney dismissed and refiled that case on July 18, 2022, but not before Riley- who was out on bond- earned 54 separate violations for failing to comply with the pre-trial bond conditions. After the Circuit Attorney refiled the case, Riley earned 50 more violations. The Circuit Attorney never filed a motion to revoke Riley’s bond.
This is the latest in a long pattern of brazen neglect. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney has a long history of failure to prosecute violent crime, with a backlog of at least 3,000 cases.
“It is time for the Circuit Attorney to go and for the rule of law and justice to prevail,” said Attorney General Bailey.