Hours before facing another hearing exploring her official conduct, a Missouri prosecutor suddenly left office on May 16 instead of waiting until June 1.
“Effective immediately, Kimberly M. Gardner will end her service as the City of St. Louis Circuit Attorney,” a tweet from her office said.
That announcement came shortly before a court hearing in Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s attempt to persuade a judge to oust her from office. Bailey continued that battle despite Gardner’s resignation announcement earlier this month.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner (circuit attorney.org)
His reasoning: “While Gardner has announced her intention to resign on June 1, 2023, she has not yet resigned,” Bailey said in a May 15 court filing. He added that Gardner had left open the potential to change her mind and remain in office beyond the stated departure date….