A judge moved to hold Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner in “indirect criminal contempt” after she failed to show up for an armed robbery case. Under Gardner, this has been the exception and not the rule. Judge Michael Noble said Gardner’s office “appears to be a rudderless ship of chaos,” noting that there are sufficient grounds to find her guilty of indirect criminal contempt for both Gardner and Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Desilets.
Noble said, addressing repeated failures of her office to show up at hearings:
“It appears that Ms. Gardner has complete indifference and a conscious disregard for the judicial process.”
“Furthermore, any attorney’s violation of a court’s order constitutes an intentional disobedience and shows a clear intent to disregard the power and authority of the judicial system process.”
This comes on the heels of a February incident where Daniel Riely, who was under house arrest for a separate crime at the time. Gardner allowed him to remain free even though he violated his bail provisions on a constant basis. He was out driving while under house arrest when he hit teenage volleyball player Janae Edmondson, who lost both of her legs.
During the BLM riots in 2020, the writers broke through a private gate and threatened residents. Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who were afraid for their lives, armed themselves against the rioters and Gardner let the rioters go and tried to prosecute the McCloskeys. Gardner was removed from that case after she tried to use it to raise campaign funds.
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELThe case at issue Thursday which spurred the judge to move for “indirect criminal contempt,” involved an 11-year-old girl who was shot in October 2020. The person charged in the case is 26-year-old Steven Linell Vincent Jr. Vincent is accused of firing gunshots into a residential building.
Vincent’s mother told KSDK her son has been waiting for the trial for three years.
“We keep coming to court and the prosecuting attorney is not here,” she said.
Billionaire mega-donor George Soros funded Gardner’s election in 2016 and 2020, according to Fox News Digital. She announced March 29 she will seek a third term, despite efforts by Missouri’s Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) to force her out of office, as KTVI reported.
Gardner’s and Desilets’ contempt hearing is slated for May 30.
In February, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced legal action to remove St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner from office over her failure to do her job and for letting known criminals go free by dismissing their charges, including killers and drug dealers.
Bailey said his petition makes three claims against the circuit attorney:
- Claims she has failed to prosecute cases that are pending in her jurisdiction
- Claims she has failed to confer and inform victims of the procedural posture and ultimate disposition in criminal cases
- Claims she has neglected her duties by failing to charge new cases referred to her by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
“These three behaviors constitute a continued pattern of failure to discharge her duties in office and represent neglect under the statutes, and warrant removal,” Bailey said at the news conference. “At the end of the day, this is about the rule of law and about justice.”
