The very day that Judge Michael Noble coined the phrase "rudderless ship of chaos" to describe St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's office, Gardner spent about three hours at a health clinic in the Grove.
The Riverfront Times previously reported that Gardner was enrolled in a graduate nursing program at Saint Louis University even as her office collapsed.
Gardner's office refused to specify the nature of her studies, though if she is pursuing a doctor of nursing practice it would require her to log a significant number of clinical hours. Under Missouri law, circuit attorneys (as well as their assistants) must "devote their entire time and energy to the discharge of their official duties."
Prior to Gardner's nursing studies coming to light in the media, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey was investigating Gardner's efforts as a nurse, according to court filings his office made today.
One week before the RFT’s scoop, on Thursday, April 27, the attorney general's office sent an investigator to the Family Health Care Center in the Grove. There, the investigator arrived a little before 10 a.m. and saw a Ford Escape registered to the city.
After about three hours, Gardner left the clinic and got into the vehicle, which took her to the Carnahan Courthouse downtown.
The attorney general's filing says that Gardner was at the clinic for at least three hours, though possibly longer because it's unknown when she arrived. The clinic opens at 8 a.m.
The attorney general's office wrote in today's filing, "The timing of Gardner's absence from her office on that Thursday morning and early afternoon was notable and highly questionable — and not merely because her office was in a general state of disarray at the time."
That same day, Gardner had been ordered to appear in the courtroom of Judge Noble, who was holding a contempt of court hearing related to the Circuit Attorney's Office failure to appear at the first day of a murder trial earlier that month.
Noble had ordered either Gardner or a designee to appear at that contempt hearing.
Assistant Circuit Attorney Rob Huq appeared as Gardner's designee, but Huq knew little about the underlying murder case, telling Noble he hadn't read the indictment or the probable cause statement.
At that hearing, Noble said, "I asked for a designee, but you sent someone who didn't have the ability to stand in Ms. Gardner's shoes."
The attorney general has subpoenaed both St. Louis University's School of Nursing and the Family Health Care Center for more information about Gardner's school and clinical work.
Gardner is attempting to prevent the disclosure of that information, citing privacy laws related to health and educational records.
Earlier this month, Gardner announced she intends to resign June 1.
We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at [email protected]or follow on Twitter at @RyanWKrull.
Subscribe to Riverfront Times newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
