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Gabriel Gore to Become St. Louis Circuit Attorney | St. Louis Metro News | St. Louis

Published

2 years ago

May 21, 2023

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click to enlarge RYAN KRULL Gabriel Gore was tapped by Governor Mike Parson today to be St. Louis Circuit Attorney, replacing Kim Gardner. This morning Governor Mike Parson appointed Gabriel Gore, an attorney with the politically connected Dowd Bennett law firm, to serve out the rest of Kim Gardner’s term as St. Louis circuit attorney. Parson annnounced Gore’s appointment in front of the seal of the circuit attorney’s office that earlier this week had Gardner’s name above it. With Parson were city officials including Mayor Tishaura Jones and police chief Robert Tracy. “Crime anywhere affected Missourians everywhere,” Parson said. “We know there is a need to do better in the office we stand outside today.”To do it, the governor is turning to a man with a sterling reputation.Gore has long been discussed as a possible pick for President Joe Biden’s long-awaited selection as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. While he previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in federal court, he does not appear to have much, if any, experience in the St. Louis circuit court.

Long considered a rising star, Gore may nevertheless be best-known in Missouri political circles for representing then-Missouri Governor Eric Greitens as he fought back on the charges brought by, yes, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. Gore was a familiar face in Jefferson City during impeachment proceedings, which were ultimately halted after Greitens agreed to resign.

Dowd Bennett then put its considerable energies into attacking Gardner, pursuing a Bar complaint over how she handled evidence that led to a four-year ethics probe and many overheated whispers speculating about resignation or even jail time for Gardner. Those proved false; the Missouri Supreme Court settled for a $750 fine. A different effort, led by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and hinging on Gardner’s enrollment in an advanced degree nursing program even while her office suffered serious turnover, ultimately pushed Gardner from office less than a year later.

The city of St. Louis has contracted with Dowd Bennett on a good deal of legal work over the years, including in the city’s lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia seeking to hold the car manufacturer liable for the rash of thefts sweeping the region. City Counselor Sheena Hamilton is a former equity partner of the firm.

Gore’s legal career has spanned almost 30 years. He was Dowd Bennett’s first Black partner and, according to the firm’s website, Gore’s areas of expertise are “complex civil litigation and white collar defense.” He represented Anheuser-Busch against a gender pay discrimination suit and was also involved in an investigation of the government’s siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas.

Notably absent from this resume is any experience prosecuting cases in the 22nd Circuit.

Former assistant circuit attorney Natalia Ogurkiewicz, who worked under Gardner until earlier this year, says that she thinks Gore is “highly qualified and capable of helping this return to being one of the best [prosecuting attorney’s] offices in the region.”

However, she adds, “[Gore] has never practiced in the circuit. Federal practice as a prosecutor is a world of difference from state, and this jurisdiction is pretty unique in its own right. I think it will be significantly more challenging for someone who hasn’t actually done city practice, but Godspeed.”

A longtime assistant circuit attorney praises him as “a class act, intelligent, thoughtful and deliberate.” The prosecutor adds, “A talented and respected attorney within/outside of Missouri.”

Gore will have his work cut out for him. The circuit attorney’s office has been plagued in past years by low staff levels, high turnover and dysfunction resulting in numerous murder cases falling through the cracks.

The office’s chief trial assistant departed in March. The chief warrant officer has announced his forthcoming departure as well.

Every week for the past several weeks, numerous trials have been set to begin with the assigned prosecutor being someone no longer employed by the office. One attorney prosecuting cases for the office may be committing a misdemeanor every time he files an appearance.

Gore’s appointment this morning makes him the third circuit attorney for the city in five days.

The week began with Kim Gardner still serving in the role. On May 4, after two and a half months of battling the attorney general’s efforts to remove her, Gardner announced she’d be resigning June 1. However, on Tuesday, Gardner abruptly resigned the post she’d held for six years.

Confusion ensued, as Gardner attempted to grant St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell “all powers” to guide the office during the transition to a new top prosecutor, a move that seemed to take even Bell by surprise.

On Wednesday, Parson appointed his general counsel Evan Rodriguez as acting circuit attorney with Judge William Corrigan, a deputy attorney general, serving as Rodriguez’s number two.

Over the past several days, attorneys from Jefferson City have been, in the words of one defense attorney, “swarming” around the courthouse and looking over the shoulders of circuit attorney staff.

Corrigan himself was present for a hearing for a double murder trial on Wednesday in which a prosecutor for the circuit attorney’s office announced they would be dropping charges against a man who has been in jail since September 2020. The following day both Corrigan and Rodriguez were in the courtroom for a manslaughter trial.

It’s unclear what sort of presence these attorneys from state agencies will have at the circuit attorney’s office now that Gore is taking over.Editor’s note: This is a developing story. We’ll update it as the announcement continues.

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword.

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate.

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault.

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade.

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

Published

1 year ago

May 22, 2024

Natural Bridge

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection.

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery.

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.”

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings.

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said.

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

Published

1 year ago

May 21, 2024

Natural Bridge

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release.

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

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