The ongoing tussle for authority over the appointment of St. Louis County's top prosecutor has moved to the appellate courts. St. Louis County Executive Sam Page is challenging a December 20 ruling that places Missouri Governor Mike Parson at the helm for appointing the successor to Wesley Bell, who will soon vacate his role as St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Page filed documents yesterday to appeal the judgement, FOX2Now reported.
At the crux of the dispute is the designation of the prosecuting attorney as a state officer rather than a county officer. According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch report, the 43-page appeal references over a century of case law, positing that prosecuting attorneys have historically been deemed county officers in matters of county governance and management. This reasoning aims to sway the appeal court to restore the appointment rights to Page, despite Judge Brian May's ruling in favor of Parson's authority.
Both state and local officials have floated their preferred candidates to take on the mantle of St. Louis County's prosecutor. While Governor Parson has backed Melissa Price Smith, currently an assistant prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County, Page had put forth Democrat Cort VanOstran, a former federal prosecutor. This was before the judge's order barred any further steps by Page to fill the vacancy, noted by KSDK.
The quickened pace of these legal maneuvers reflects the urgency of the matter, with Wesley Bell's resignation set to take effect on January 3, 2025. Smith remains poised to step into the position, pending the outcome of the appeal which is expected before Bell's resignation.
