The city's elected prosecutor was not in contempt of court as a result of her office's failure to have a prosecutor present when a murder trial was due to begin, a St. Louis judge ruled Monday.
Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office let “fall through the cracks” the fact that the prosecutor for the case, Alex Polta, was out on medical leave and no replacement was assigned, Judge Scott A. Millikan determined after a 45-minute hearing. But Millikan said the mistake didn't rise to the level of contempt of court.
