The headline of a column in the Sunday British Observer had to have raised eyebrows from St. Louis to Jefferson City: “Why St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner Must Be Investigated—and Stopped.”
The column by criminologist and retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman pulls no punches. “The St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has clearly, repeatedly and consistently violated the ethics of her profession and brought disgrace upon the Circuit Attorney’s office,” writes Grossman. “She has skirted and flouted the law in ways that are truly unimaginable.”
Grossman argues that Gardner needs to be investigated for reasons that transcend her “mishandling” of the case against Gov. Eric Greitens. “Kim Gardner’s other prosecutions, and the day-to-day mismanagement of her office, share the same shameful pattern,” writes Grossman. “She has ignored cases that were easy wins, prosecuted cops with what looks like outright malice, and lost staff and personnel at an alarming rate.”
According to Grossman, Gardner’s office has failed “to share evidence with the court and the defense” in nearly half of all felony cases in 2018, causing their delay. Grossman details ten different reasons why Gardner ought to be investigated, only half of which involve the Greitens case.
“The State of Missouri must investigate this misbehavior immediately,” Grossman concludes. “Too many people have been killed in St. Louis this year, and too many clear crimes are not being prosecuted. The person responsible for justice in St. Louis is the Circuit Attorney, and she appears to have consistently failed in the execution of her responsibilities.”