(NewsNation) — Supporters in St. Louis rallied around Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner after she refused to submit to the Missouri attorney general’s demands that she resign her position.
Supporters gathered outside the Carnahan Courthouse for a rally organized by local group The Community Justice Coalition. Gardner’s supporters, including Missouri U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, have said the entire judicial system shares the blame for the accident that prompted calls for Gardner’s removal.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey demanded Gardner’s resignation last week, giving her until Feb. 23 to step down. When she refused, he filed a petition for her removal from office. Gardner has maintained that the way for people to remove her is to vote against her in the 2024 election.
Bailey claims Gardner has neglected the duties of her office after Daniel Riley, a 21-year-old man who was out on bond for robbery was involved in a car crash. Janae Edmondson, a teenage volleyball player in town for a tournament was injured, and both of her legs were amputated as a result of the accident.
Riley has repeatedly violated his bond, but it had not been revoked, and he was still allowed to leave his home to go to work.
Gardner claims her office repeatedly asked the court to revoke Riley’s bond, but judges failed to do so.
Local media outlets have been unable to verify all of the requests Gardner’s office is said to have made through publicly available court records.
In addition to Bailey’s petition to have Gardner removed, the Missouri Senate has held hearings on a bill that would allow the state’s governor to appoint a special prosecutor in districts where homicide rates exceed a certain threshold. The Missouri House has already passed a similar bill.