Kim Gardner, the first black prosecutor in St. Louis who faced numerous challenges, steps down from her position.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who was facing calls from Republican leaders for her resignation, has announced that she will step down from her post effective June 1. Gardner, who is a Democrat and the city’s first Black prosecutor, has been accused by Republican Attorney General Andrew Bailey of negligence. He claimed that too many cases, including homicides, went unpunished under her watch, leaving victims and their families uninformed, while the prosecutor’s office was slow to take on cases brought by police. Gardner refuted Bailey’s allegations, saying they were politically and racially motivated. Her resignation comes ahead of a hearing scheduled for September to determine whether she should be removed from office. Gardner came under increased criticism earlier this year following an accident that left a young volleyball player from Tennessee with both legs amputated. The driver involved in the accident had been out on bond on a robbery charge despite numerous bond violations.