ST. LOUIS – Supporters of embattled St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner are set to make their voices heard later this morning. This is as Gardner comes under fire at a Senate hearing in Jefferson City.
The Carnahan Courthouse is where a rally supporting Kim Gardner is set for 10:00 a.m. Gardner’s office is inside the courthouse.
Tuesday morning’s rally for Gardner is being put on by the Community Justice Coalition, or CJC. A release from the group said that they are organizing the event in response to what they call unprecedented attacks on Gardner’s office.
The CJC is made up of civic and religious leaders. The rally is taking place after Missouri senators Monday held a hearing on a bill that could remove some of Gardner’s authority as circuit attorney. That legislation was already passed by the Missouri House.
It would allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor to take on violent crimes in cities or counties where the homicide rate hits a certain threshold.
Republicans at the hearing criticized Gardner over the recent tragic crash in downtown St. Louis that resulted in 17-year-old Janae Edmonson losing her legs. Police said 21-year-old Daniel Riley failed to yield at an intersection, causing the crash.
Riley was out on bond in a robbery case and had violated his house arrest numerous times. Gardner has come under fire because Riley was not behind bars. Here is some of what was said at the hearing.
“When you get outside of our boarders, people think of Missouri as a dangerous place,” Republican State Representative Lane Roberts said. “If you get outside of our national boarders, people think of Missouri as a dangerous place, a disproportion number of those homicides occur in the city of St. Louis.”
“I see this as an attack on St. Louis city and African American leadership,” Democratic Senator Karla May shared.
The hearing comes after, just last week, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a lawsuit calling for Gardner to be removed as circuit attorney. In that case, a judge said Monday that Gardner must respond within 14 days. If she doesn’t then a default judgment will be used against her.