A 12-minute “Consider This” piece aired on NPR looks at one of the possible effects of police pushing back at progressive prosecutors. In St. Louis, a detective refused to testify in a murder case, which may have helped the defendant walk free.
Also, ProPublica took a look at the same issues in St. Louis, focusing on two detectives, the one who disagrees with progressive prosecutor Kim Gardner, and another who refused to testify because he is no longer on the job. “Murder investigations often rely on a single detective, making them vulnerable if the detective is unable or unwilling to come to court,” the piece noted. “But a former homicide investigator said he has no obligation to cooperate, claiming that ‘retirement is meant to be retirement.’”