[Daily Caller] St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner delivered an "exclusion list" to the city police department on Tuesday. On that list were the names of 28 police officers ‐ and Gardner says that she will no longer consider cases brought to her office by any of those on the list.Gardner’s office gave no reason for submitting the list, but did note that previous cases brought by those same officers were under review for "viability."
Warrant applications from the affected officers may also be denied according to an email obtained by the St. Louis Post Dispatch in which Maj. Michael Sack, of the Bureau of Professional Standards, referenced Gardner’s Chief Warrant Officer Chris Hinckley as the point of contact for any concerns.
In his email, Sack quoted Hinckley’s email. "Mr. Hinckley advised, ’warrant applications involving officers (sic) as essential witnesses will be refused if their participation is essential to the successful prosecution of the case. Cases previously issued where the above officers are essential witnesses will be reviewed for viability.'"
While Gardner’s office has given no official reason for the case review or the exclusion list, many of her critics fear that the move could be political. Gardner’s relationship with local police departments has long been contentious ‐ and a couple of recent high profile cases have not done much to mend fences.
In 2017, protests broke out after Gardner failed to get a conviction against former police officer Jason Stockley for the shooting death of Anthony Lamar Smith. Stockley has since filed a lawsuit against former circuit attorney Jennifer Joyce ‐ who filed charges on her way out the door and left the prosecution in Gardner’s hands ‐ for defamation and malicious prosecution.
Gardner was also the subject of a formal complaint, filed earlier this week, alleging that she suborned perjury and withheld evidence in the case she brought against former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.