(Headline USA) Kim Gardner, the Soros-backed district attorney in St. Louis, Missouri, could be held in contempt of court after no one in her office appeared for a murder trial.
Judge Scott Millikan filed a motion against Gardner this week, blasting her for her failure to show up in court for the trial of Jonathan Jones, 18, who is accused of fatally shooting a man in 2021. As a result of Gardner’s absence, the trial of Jones has been delayed for more than a week.
“This conduct thwarts and defeats the authority of the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis,” Millikan wrote, demanding that Gardner provide a legitimate justification for her absence.
If Gardner fails to show just cause, Millikan could force her to pay a fine or even put her behind bars.
This is not the first time Gardner has neglected her prosecutorial duties. In 2021, her team also failed to show up in court for at least three murder trials, which led to the cases being dismissed.
The contempt order will likely help Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in his efforts to remove Gardner from office. In February, he filed a writ of quo warranto against Gardner, the legal action allowing him to remove a prosecutor under state law.
“As Attorney General, I want to protect the people of St. Louis, and that includes ensuring prosecutors protect the public,” Bailey said in a statement at the time. “We gave Circuit Attorney Gardner the chance to do the right thing and resign, she has refused to do so, and my office filed a quo warranto at 12:01 PM to remove her from office immediately.”
Bailey cited several cases in which Gardner’s refusal to uphold the law has harmed St. Louis residents. In one case, a repeat bond offender ran over a teenage girl with his car, leading to both of her legs being amputated.
“The quo warranto points out that Ms. Edmonson’s injuries are the direct result of years of willful neglect from Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner. As the Circuit Attorney, Respondent is morally, ethically, and legally responsible for the conduct of her office,” Bailey said. “For years, the Circuit Attorney’s Office has failed to (1) prosecute cases to resolution, (2) has failed to inform and confer with victims, and (3) has failed to even review and file cases submitted by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.”
