what is a circuit attorney

by Bulah Marquardt MD 10 min read

Circuit Attorney The Circuit Attorney is elected by its citizens as the prosecutor for state-level criminal cases in the City of St. Louis. Specialized units include Child Support, Community Affairs, Drug Court, Felony Trial, Victim Services, White Collar Crime and the Warrant Office.

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Who is the circuit attorney for Louisiana?

Circuit Attorney The Circuit Attorney is elected by its citizens as the prosecutor for state-level criminal cases in the City of St. Louis. Specialized units include Child Support, Community Affairs, Drug Court, Felony Trial, Victim Services, White Collar Crime and the Warrant Office.

What does the St Louis Circuit Attorney's Office do?

The Circuit Attorney's Office represents the people of the State of Missouri as their chief prosecutor for state-level crimes in the City of St. Louis. The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office employs over 60 attorneys, 20 investigators, 10 victim services case managers and over 30 support staff. Each year we review over 15,000 cases and prosecute approximately 3,000 to …

Who is the assistant circuit attorney for criminal diversion?

Oct 28, 2021 · Justice, public safety, crime and violence reduction are. PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUES . that can best be achieved with adequate resources, dedicated staff, multi-agency collaboration and strong resident engagement.

Who is the circuit judge who presides over these cases?

Jul 05, 2020 · On the morning of June 2, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner stepped toward a podium to address the previous 24 hours—a period that had begun with nationwide protests against a Minneapolis policeman’s killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, but had ended, 550 miles south in St. Louis, with smashing, looting, smoke, and bloodshed. ...

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What does an assistant district attorney do?

The assistant district attorney (assistant DA, ADA) (or state prosecutor or assistant state's attorney) is a law enforcement official who represents the state government on behalf of the district attorney in investigating and prosecuting individuals alleged to have committed a crime.

Are district attorneys elected?

In most U.S. state and local jurisdictions, prosecutors are elected to office. On the federal level, district attorneys are, in effect, members of the executive branch of the government; they are usually replaced when a new administration comes into office.

What does the attorney general do?

Attorneys general are the top legal officers of their state or territory. They advise and represent their legislature and state agencies and act as the “People's Lawyer” for the citizens.

How many state attorneys are there in Florida?

20 State AttorneysHow many State Attorneys are there? There are 20 State Attorneys in the State of Florida representing 20 judicial circuits. For more information about each of the circuits, visit Florida's State Attorneys.

How much does a prosecutor make?

How much does a Prosecutor make in London, UK? How much does a Prosecutor make in London, UK? The average salary for a Prosecutor is £24,170 in London, UK. Salaries estimates are based on 386 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Prosecutor employees in London, UK.

Is prosecutor a lawyer?

A prosecutor is a lawyer who works for a state or government organization and is responsible for starting legal proceedings and then proving in court that the suspect committed the crime he's accused of. The opposite of a prosecutor is a defense attorney.

What power does the US Attorney General have?

The Attorney General of the United States – appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate – heads the DOJ with its more than 100,000 attorneys, special agents, and other staff. It represents the United States in federal criminal and civil litigation, and provides legal advice to the President and Cabinet.

What is the difference between Attorney General and Solicitor General?

The attorney general is usually a highly respected senior advocate of the court, and is appointed by the ruling government. ... The solicitor general is the second law officer of the state after the attorney general.Jan 14, 2006

What is the difference between chief justice and Attorney General?

In layman terms, Chief Justice is a Judge and Attorney General is a Lawyer, both have distinct roles to play. The Attorney General of India is the highest law officer of the country and he/she is the chief legal advisor to the GoI. He is responsible to assist the government in all its legal matters.Feb 20, 2020

What is the highest paid lawyer?

Highest paid lawyers: salary by practice areaPatent attorney: $180,000.Intellectual property (IP) attorney: $162,000.Trial attorneys: $134,000.Tax attorney (tax law): $122,000.Corporate lawyer: $115,000.Employment lawyer: $87,000.Real Estate attorney: $86,000.Divorce attorney: $84,000.More items...•Dec 14, 2021

Is Pam Bondi still married?

Personal life. Bondi married Garret Barnes in 1990; the couple divorced after 22 months of marriage. In 1996, Bondi married Scott Fitzgerald; they divorced in 2002. She was engaged to Greg Henderson in 2012.

Who is the current Florida state attorney?

Ashley Moody (Republican Party)Florida / Attorney generalAshley Brooke Moody is an American attorney and politician serving as the Florida attorney general since January 2019. Wikipedia

How many attorneys have left the Circuit Attorney's Office?

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in September 2019 that "over 65 attorneys with a combined experience of over 460 years in prosecutorial experience" have left the Circuit Attorney's office under Gardner.

Who is the first African American to head the Circuit Attorney's Office?

Gardner took office on January 6, 2017. She is the first African-American to head the Circuit Attorney's Office. Under Gardner's tenure, St. Louis has seen a significant increase in non-prosecuted felonies. In 2019, St. Louis police sought 7,045 felony cases, but only 1,641 were prosecuted by Gardner's office.

Who is Kim Gardner?

For the English musician, see Kim Gardner. Kimberly M. Gardner (born Aug. 2, 1975) is an American politician and attorney from the state of Missouri. She is the circuit attorney for the city of St. Louis, Missouri.

What is Eric Greitens charged with?

On April 20, 2018, Gardner's office announced a new charge of tampering with computer data against Greitens.

What is the Brady list?

In summer 2018, the existence of an "exclusion list" (similar to a " Brady list " in other jurisdictions) of 28 SLMPD officers whose conduct is considered so tainted by misconduct that the CAO would no longer accept testimony or evidence in court cases and would reconsider past cases. Fifty-five prosecutors and law enforcement officials from across the United States signed a statement supporting Gardner's Brady List. Gardner, in February 2019, announced that the CAO and police department are working together on problems stemming from the list. In January 2019, Gardner's office accused officers within SLMPD of obstructing their investigation in the shooting death of officer Katlyn Alix by officer Nathaniel R. Hendren, one of two officers charged with crimes relating to the incident, which resulted in a sharp rebuke by Chief John Hayden.

How long was Kim Gardner stopped by police?

In January 2020, Gardner made numerous news interviews and public claims stating that: the stop was on December 24, 2019 (Christmas Eve), police had held her for 15 minutes without stating why, and that these were "intimidation tactics used by the police to stop reform". Police records state that the stop occurred on December 23, 2019 instead. KMOV4 news also published video evidence from a camera across the street revealing that St. Louis downtown police had pulled Gardner over when her car was shown driving without headlights on at night, and that the stop lasted for only 6 minutes. Gardner continued to claim that the stop lasted 15 minutes and was without reason. The Circuit Attorney's Office also sent an email statement that "According to the police it was a 15 minute stop. In addition, the officer's statement is different than the one shared by Jeff Roorda." The St. Louis Police Sergeant then issued a follow-up statement that the police had never stated Gardner was detained for 15 minutes. The St. Louis Police statement also reveals that an investigator from the Circuit Attorney's Office had attempted to involve himself into the traffic investigation, which is an illegal act and the investigator could have been arrested for it. The St. Louis Police did not arrest the investigator. The Circuit Attorney's Office continued to assert Garner's false allegations.

Who is the special prosecutor for Greitens?

On June 29, 2018, St. Louis Circuit Judge Michael Mullen appointed St. Louis attorney Gerard Carmody as special prosecutor to investigate allegations of criminal misconduct in the case against Governor Eric Greitens. Gardner appealed the appointment of a special prosecutor to the Missouri Supreme Court, which ruled that Gardner had a conflict of interest in the case and upheld Mullen's appointment of Carmody. The Missouri Supreme Court also rejected an appeal from Gardner's office seeking to block a search warrant signed by Mullen for the files of the Gardner's office; the court ordered Gardner to turn over servers requested by Carmody.

Who is the Circuit Attorney for St. Louis?

On the morning of June 2, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner stepped toward a podium to address the previous 24 hours—a period that had begun with nationwide protests against a Minneapolis policeman’s killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, but had ended, 550 miles south in St. Louis, with smashing, looting, smoke, and bloodshed.

What is the St. Louis Police Association?

The St. Louis Police Officers Association, the union that represents city police, has labeled her policies a “criminal empowerment agenda.”. Gardner has punched back, grabbing national headlines by accusing the union in a lawsuit of a “racially motivated conspiracy” against her.

How old is Lisa Gardner?

At age 44 , Gardner has played many public-facing roles—star athlete, sports agent, funeral director, registered nurse, state legislator—but she doesn’t seem to relish press conferences. Those close to her say she’s a charmer and raconteur in relaxed, small-group settings.

Who is Lisa Gardner married to?

Gardner also made a personal decision during those years: In 2014, she married Mark Elliott, now director of the track and cross-country programs at Clemson University. (Their wedding was held in Jamaica, where Elliott was born.) In July 2016, Circuit Attorney Joyce announced that she would not seek re-election.

What is the Plain View Project?

In June 2019, the Philadelphia-based Plain View Project published a database of racist and boorish Facebook posts by current and former cops in various jurisdictions, including St. Louis. Gardner reviewed those posts and added 22 more officers to her list.

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Overview

Career

Gardner worked at Bell, Kirksey & Associates and as an assistant prosecutor (St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office, 2005–2010) prior to being elected as Circuit Attorney. From 2013 to 2017 she was a Missouri State Representative for District 77.
Gardner took office on January 6, 2017. She is the first African-American to head the Circuit Attorney's Office. Under Gardner's tenure, St. Louis has seen a significant increase in non-prosec…

Early life and education

Gardner was born in 1975 and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. Her family runs a funeral home in North St. Louis, at which she also worked. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in healthcare administration from Harris–Stowe State University in 1999. She then earned a Juris Doctor from the Saint Louis University School of Law in 2003 and a Master of Science in nursing from Saint Louis University in 2012.

Controversies

Gardner's office secured a grand jury indictment of sitting Missouri Governor Eric Greitens in February 2018, for felony invasion of privacy. On April 20, 2018, Gardner's office announced a new charge of tampering with computer data against Greitens. The governor was swiftly released on his own recognizance. Then Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawleyhad opportunity to prosecute but declined to do so. In May 2018, the judge in the Greitens case ruled that the defense could c…

Further reading

• "Editorial: Reform-minded prosecutors give St. Louis-area voters what they asked for". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. February 4, 2019.
• Patrick, Robert (January 30, 2019). "St. Louis prosecutor declining more cases and issuing fewer arrest warrants as part of reform efforts". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

External links

• City of St. Louis profile
• Circuit Attorney Office (CAO) website
• Kimberly Gardner on Twitter