Kim Gardner, the former St. Louis Circuit Attorney, is currently unaccountable as Missouri officials, including Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick, report her whereabouts as unknown. Fitzpatrick, emphasizing a need for accountability, has indicated that attempts to contact Gardner, including efforts to serve her with a subpoena, have been unsuccessful for several months. The situation comes in light of the serious allegations against her regarding the misuse of taxpayer funds and rights abuses.
Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick said former the St. Louis circuit attorney is dodging subpoenas, ignoring calls and refusing to answer questions for an audit of her former office. https://t.co/EbvpEKbmD4
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) May 8, 2024
Gardner, a Democrat and the first Black circuit attorney for St. Louis, assumed office on January 1, 2017, after being elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. She was notable for her progressive prosecutorial policies, including initiatives to divert low-level crime offenders to mental health or drug treatment programs and efforts to hold police more accountable while also working to exonerate wrongfully convicted inmates.
However, her tenure, which ended with her resignation in May 2023, has been marred by controversy. Reports suggest a significant decline in the prosecution of criminal cases under her watch, contributing to what some describe as a near-collapse of the criminal justice system in St. Louis. This decline in prosecutorial effectiveness coincided with a high turnover rate in her office, including the departure of two dozen attorneys and over one-third of the trial lawyers.
The absence of Gardner is delaying a state audit of the Circuit Attorney’s Office, which is crucial for assessing the office’s operations during her tenure.