The chief warrant officer for the beleaguered St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office is on his way out the door, multiple court sources tell the RFT.
Chief Warrant Officer Chris Hinckley was in court this morning representing the Circuit Attorney's office when the RFT saw him outside the courtroom. Asked if he was leaving the office, he did not confirm or deny but said he would be in touch.
A spokesperson for the office did not respond to a message seeking comment this morning.
The chief warrant officer is responsible for filing charges in all felony cases handled by the office, and Hinckley's departure could have major complications for a staff that is already struggling as it undergoes a transition leading up to Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's announced June 1 resignation.
The news of Hinckley's possible exit comes after months of staff departures have increasingly played out in public. Throughout March and April, the dysfunction in the office was in large part driven by a doom loop: the more staffers left, the more untenable the job became for those remaining.
This week, however, things seemed to be improving — as at least one staff attorney who had announced his resignation reversed course in the wake of Gardner announcing hers.
However, at least one criminal defense attorney doesn't see Hinckley leaving as a bad thing.
"It's more complex and overall it's probably a good thing he's leaving," said Terry Niehoff. "[His departure] only makes the office better."
Niehoff has been outspoken about the harm the Circuit Attorney's Office has done to defendants languishing in jail as cases crawl through court. Earlier this week he told the RFT that the situation in the courts will likely get worse before it gets better.
He added this morning that Hinckley "was part of the executive staff that ran the office, he is, along with Kim and Serena [Griffin], responsible for the failure of the CAO."
Rumors of Hinckley's departure have included talk that he is headed to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell's office, but Bell's spokesperson batted down that notion down as premature.
"We have been getting persistent media inquiries about staff from various offices in the region who may be interested in potentially joining our office. As is the process in St. Louis County government, when a position is posted we will evaluate all candidates who apply, according to Civil Service rules, and then make decisions accordingly. We do not discuss any candidates prior to their being formally hired," Bell's office said in a statement.
Bell himself was downtown yesterday, visiting Gardner's offices for about 90 minutes in the afternoon.
Of that meeting, Bell's spokesperson said, "We are engaged in conversations on how we can work together to ensure a smooth transition without sacrificing public safety.”
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