ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) – First-degree murder charges were dropped against a suspect after the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office failed to show up to three hearings in a row.
Brandon Campbell was charged with the April 9, 2020 murder of Randy Moore but the judge said Kim Gardner’s office “abandoned its duty” after failing to show up to the hearings. The judge said the court did not drop charges without “significant consideration” and added any threat to public safety falls on the Circuit Attorney’s Office.
According to the judge’s order, the attorney assigned to the case was on maternity leave when the defense counsel filed a motion in May 2021. Because she had begun maternity leave, the attorney would not be expected to respond to anything for about three months, but the judge stated “someone from the Circuit Attorney’s Office must be assigned while she is on leave” to handle situations that come up in the case.
Gardner released the below statement in response to News 4’s inquiries into the situation:
“Upon review of our internal policies and procedures regarding Family Medical Leave, we have determined that corrective measures are needed to further prevent any future repeat occurrence of the incident in question. The, suggestion, however that there have been additional instances that have occurred like the one in question have not been substantiated.
Be assured that as the Circuit Attorney of the City of St. Louis, I am accountable to the public for the actions of the office and remain committed as ever to upholding the highest possible standards and practices of accountability at all levels of this office, particularly the public safety of the residents of the City of St. Louis. As a result, the individual in this case is custody.”
While the statement concludes Campbell is in custody, a News 4 review of jail records on Tuesday found the suspect listed as not in custody.
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