St. Louis Mayor Says Circuit Attorney Gardner Has 'Lost the Trust of the People' After Crash That Maimed Teen

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and Board of Aldermen President Megan Green sharply criticized Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Wednesday, following errors by her office that preceded a downtown crash in which a 17-year-old girl lost both of her legs.

Jones said Gardner "really needs to do some soul-searching on whether or not she wants to continue as circuit attorney." The mayor added: "She has lost the trust of the people." Green said the city needs a circuit attorney's office that functions effectively, and offered the board's help in getting it there. She said she was willing to assist Gardner "in anything that she needs" so the office can regain residents' trust.

The criticism stems from the case of Daniel Riley, 21, who was charged Jan. 17 in connection with a 2020 armed robbery. Circuit Judge David Roither released him on his own recognizance but ordered GPS monitoring and house arrest. On Saturday, police said, Riley ignored a stop sign downtown and hit another car. Janae Edmondson, who was in St. Louis for a volleyball tournament and was walking nearby, was struck and later had both legs amputated.

Court records show Riley had violated his bond conditions at least eight times before the crash. Gardner's office never filed a motion to revoke his bond and return him to jail.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Gardner called it "unfortunate" that some people were choosing to "twist the facts to take advantage of the situation for their own selfish motives." She wrote, "This is not the time for finger-pointing, it's time to support this family and ensure that justice is served." Jones called the lack of accountability in that statement "disturbing." She said accountability means acknowledging a mistake and asking how to fix it together. Gardner had no comment on the remarks from Jones and Green.

Alderman Shane Cohn of the 25th Ward, who like the mayor shares Gardner's views on criminal justice reform, said on Facebook that he and many colleagues agreed Gardner had lost residents' trust. "The Circuit Attorney must commit to doing better," he wrote, adding that otherwise "she is in the wrong job." State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, a St. Louis Democrat and candidate for alderman, called her response "tone-deaf" for focusing more on herself than on the young woman whose life was changed.

Republican leaders in the legislature went further. Senate President Caleb Rowden of Columbia called Gardner "incompetent and grossly unfit" and said she should resign, or he would work with colleagues to ensure her incompetence does not endanger more lives. House Speaker Dean Plocher of Des Peres cited her "willful neglect of duty" and said it needed to end immediately.

Jones said she has asked the city's Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to bring everyone together to identify where the gaps in the case occurred. She said missteps by the office have damaged the city's reputation, pointing to efforts by lawmakers in Jefferson City to strip local control of the St. Louis police department, and to a bill pending in the Missouri Senate that would let the governor appoint a special prosecutor in certain high-crime areas. The bill does not name Gardner but is widely viewed as targeting her.

Jones also said the city has pledged millions of dollars toward pedestrian safety and traffic-calming measures, along with a citywide traffic safety and mobility plan. Though the money will take time to flow, she said the streets department will soon begin work on part of South Grand. She noted increased traffic stops and said the city deploys law enforcement according to the data.