Embattled 1st Black St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner resigns

By SUMMER BALLENTINE and JIM SALTER
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Embattled St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is resigning effective June 1 amid calls from Republican leaders for her ouster. Gardner, a Democrat, is the city’s first Black prosecutor. Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey took legal steps to remove her from office in February, alleging negligence. Bailey has said too many cases, including homicides, have gone unpunished under Gardner’s watch, that victims and their families are left uninformed, and that the prosecutor’s office is too slow to take on cases brought by police. Gardner has said Bailey’s efforts to remove her are politically and racially motivated.