Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a seventh charge in her effort to remove St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery from office, arguing the sheriff cannot legally perform his duties while he remains jailed.
The new count accuses Montgomery of violating a state statute that requires elected officials to “personally devote time” to the performance of their duties — something Hanaway says is impossible because Montgomery has been in jail for weeks.
The sheriff was taken into federal custody after violating conditions of his bond in a separate case. Federal prosecutors said he used an unreported burner phone to harass witnesses and lied to investigators about how many firearms he possessed.
Other charges already filed in the removal case accuse the sheriff of ordering deputies to handcuff the city’s acting jail director and refusing to transport detainees for medical treatment.
“He has failed citizens, detainees, and his own staff for far too long. We are adding a new count to our case asking the Court to permanently remove him from the office he has so blatantly forfeited,” said Hanaway in a Thursday press release. “St. Louis has a bright future ahead and it isn’t with Montgomery as sheriff.”
St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven R. Ohmer temporarily removed Montgomery from office late last month until a trial on the removal petition begins on Nov. 18. A panel appointed by Ohmer quickly named former St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden to serve as interim sheriff through the proceedings.
If Montgomery is removed ultimately, it is unclear who would have the authority to appoint his replacement — Hanaway, Board of Aldermen President Megan Green and Mayor Cara Spencer have all claimed they have that power. The attorney general also argued St. Louis should abolish the sheriff’s office altogether.
