ST. LOUIS — St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell will help with the transition at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office after Kim Gardner announced her resignation.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced last week that her last day in office will be June 1. This came after a months-long effort to remove her from office by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
Wesley Bell's office released a statement on Friday that said he would be helping Gardner, per her request.
The full statement said:
"To ensure that the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office continues to carry out its duty to prosecute criminal cases in a manner that seeks justice on behalf of the residents of the City of St. Louis, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell are collaborating in the transition. At the request of Ms. Gardner, they are actively collaborating on a plan to ensure a smooth transition of all cases with a priority on public safety and justice. Until the transition is firmly in place and discussed with the courts, there will be no further comment from either official."
Missouri Governor Mike Parson opened up applications to replace Gardner earlier this week. The replacement would need to take over on June 1 and would hold the office for the remainder of the term, which ends on Jan. 1, 2025.
Gardner will be in court on Tuesday for a hearing on the quo warranto case with Attorney General Andrew Bailey.
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