JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said late Wednesday that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner would face removal from office if she didn’t resign by noon Thursday.
Bailey, a Republican, said he would initiate “quo warranto†proceedings to remove Gardner if she didn’t quit.Â
The announcement adds to mounting pressure facing Gardner, a Democrat, after a 17-year-old volleyball player from Tennessee lost her legs in an accident involving a man out of jail with pending robbery charges.
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Gardner's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday evening.
Former Attorney General Chris Koster, a Democrat, used . The action centers around whether a person has forfeited the legal right to hold public 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,†Bailey said in a statement Wednesday night.
“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.â€
Bailey said Gardner “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,†he said.
Janae Edmondson, of Tennessee, was pinned between two cars and had both of her legs amputated after the crash this past weekend. She was visiting St. Louis for a volleyball tournament at the America’s Center.Â
Daniel Riley, 21, is accused of speeding on a downtown street and causing the crash. He was out on bond for a 2020 robbery charge that was dismissed and re-filed last year.
Gardner, first elected in 2016, has faced ongoing criticism for understaffing and dysfunction in her office that has hampered prosecutions.
Kimberly Gardner is the first Black St. Louis circuit attorney. She was first elected in 2016. A brief look at her career and controversies. Video by Beth O'Malley
Janae Edmondson, 17, of Tennessee remains in critical condition but is communicating with family members. They are asking for a "strong wave of prayers."
“She really needs to do some soul-searching of whether or not she wants to continue as circuit attorney,†Mayor Tishaura O. Jones says.
“This crime was as preventable as it is tragic," Greater St. Louis Inc. CEO Jason Hall said.
