ST. LOUIS — There are 12 trials scheduled during the next two weeks that are assigned to prosecutors who no longer work for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, and the presiding judge wants to know what she’s planning to do about it.
“The court has growing concerns that serious pending cases scheduled for jury trial are still assigned to attorneys who are no longer at the Circuit Attorney’s office,” wrote Presiding Judge Elizabeth Hogan in a letter to Gardner Tuesday. “Please forward the names of the assistant circuit attorneys who will be entering on each of the cases no later than Thursday, May 4, 2023, at 1 p.m. so I can let the bench know before the scheduled pretrial conferences.”
Hogan also copied two members of the St. Louis Public Defender’s Office on the letter.
The letter shows former Chief Trial Assistant Marvin Teer is still listed as the attorney of record for two first-degree murder trials. He resigned in March.
Former Assistant Circuit Attorney Natalia Ogurkiewicz is listed as the attorney of record for five cases including two first-degree murder trials, two first-degree assault trials and one second-degree assault trial. She resigned on April 17.
Former Assistant Circuit Attorney Alex Polta is still listed as the attorney of record for a weapons case. His employment with the office ended Friday.
Former Assistant Circuit Attorney Nick Lake is still listed as the attorney of record for an involuntary manslaughter case and a second-degree murder case. His last day with the office was also Friday.
Former Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Desilets is still listed as the attorney of record for a first-degree murder case and a second-degree murder case. He resigned Monday.
Gardner’s spokesperson Allison Hawk issued a statement Monday regarding the resignations, which read:
The backbone of the Circuit Attorney’s Office are the hardworking men and women who review and issue cases on a daily basis. While we have had some high profile departures, the office continues to seek justice for the people of the City of St. Louis. The CAO has made adjustments to the workload to ensure all cases are covered, and is actively recruiting talented attorneys. The prosecutor’s office continues to be an excellent training ground for those seeking experience in the criminal justice system, and we continue to receive resumes from qualified attorneys. Despite constant criticism and scrutiny, the team continues to pull together to serve the City of St. Louis under the leadership of Circuit Attorney Gardner.
Regarding the 12 trials, Gardner's office issued the following statement Tuesday:
"The Circuit Attorney’s Office is taking the necessary measures to ensure justice is served in all cases including working with the courts to make sure the proper contingencies are in place. The office can't speak on specific cases."
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