ST. LOUIS — The attorney for a man accused of striking a 17-year-old volleyball player with his car causing her to lose her legs entered a not guilty plea on his behalf Friday and a judge had to print a copy of the indictment for him in court.
Daniel Riley's attorney Dan Diemer told Judge Rochelle Woodiest Friday that he never got a copy of the indictment for his client from St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s Office, so the judge printed one for him while he was in her courtroom.
The Assistant Circuit Attorney of record on the case, Eusef Robin Huq, also did not appear at the hearing, but his wife, Jamie Myers, did. She is the chief misdemeanor officer for Gardner's office and she did not address the court.
In a statement, Gardner's spokeswoman Allison Hawk wrote: "As the head of the misdemeanor division for the office, Assistant Circuit Attorney Jamie Myers leads up associate court for the CAO. She handles these arraignments, and was there this morning as she does routinely as part of her job responsibilities."
Diemer declined to comment on the case to 5 On Your Side, saying he still has not seen any of the evidence prosecutors have against his client from the crash.
Edmondson was in town from Tennessee with her parents for a volleyball tournament when police said Riley was speeding downtown, lost control and hit her and other cars. He was charged with three counts of assault, armed criminal action and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license.
Riley’s case sparked controversy for Gardner’s office.
5 On Your Side reported Riley was supposed to be on house arrest for a 2020 armed robbery case at the time of the crash. He violated the terms of that house arrest more than 90 times before he allegedly struck Janae Edmondson, and prosecutors never filed a motion to revoke his bond.
Gardner said her prosecutors made oral motions to a judge to revoke Riley’s bond, but a judge denied those motions.
There are no court records showing any motions were ever made.
The case prompted Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to file a rare legal filing to remove Gardner from office known as a quo warranto.
He must prove Gardner is willfully neglecting her duties as prosecutor to be successful.
Gardner’s legal team has entered a motion to dismiss the case against her all together, stating she is the elected prosecutor and can run her office as she sees fit.
That case is scheduled for a hearing April 18.
This week, Bailey's office filed subpoenas for the city’s Budget Division and Comptroller’s Office seeking documents regarding salaries and various correspondence.