When Gabe Gore took the oath of office as the St. Louis circuit attorney in May, he knew failure was not an option.

His predecessor, Kim Gardner, had resigned during an effort by Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to oust her from an office in turmoil. Fewer than 10 attorneys were handling violent crimes, and a judge had moved to hold Gardner in contempt because assistant circuit attorneys did not show up for court.

“I report to you today that our office has really taken its place in the criminal justice system,” Gore said Tuesday as he marked six months in office. “We are playing that role.”

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