By Tim Schmidt Record Managing Editor The two candidates running for prosecuting attorney have been through this before. This time it will be voters who will decide the outcome. Incumbent Jennifer Bartlett is squaring off against Kelly King in next Tuesday’s election. Both candidates are Republicans, with the winner running unopposed in November. The four-year term will begin in January. Bartlett and King both sought the appointment from the governor earlier this year. The position became open when longtime prosecutor Michael Wright was appointed as associate circuit judge in January. Later that month, Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Bartlett to fill the vacancy A shake-up ensued in the prosecutor’s office, as personnel changes followed. That included King, who said she was fired on Bartlett’s first day on the job. Now the two meet again. Bartlett’s appointment as prosecutor was a homecoming of sorts. She worked as an assistant prosecutor under Wright from 2000-2002 prior to taking a similar position in Franklin County. She remained there for the last 12 years, handling all types of criminal cases involving murder, rape, kidnapping and drugs. “I feel because of that experience, I am able to provide to the citizens here a professional, aggressive, ethical prosecuting attorney’s office,” Bartlett said. “Additionally, my philosophy is, as prosecutors, we have an ethical standard we are bound to. We are to seek justice and not convictions.” King spent 6 1/2 years as an assistant prosecutor in Warren County, serving as the lead assistant during that period. Following her firing, she was hired as an assistant prosecutor in Montgomery County. She also is employed as a municipal prosecutor in Wright City and has been the attorney for the Montgomery County Juvenile Office since being appointed in 2010. King also touts her experience. She has never lost a jury trial involving manslaughter, domestic violence or sex offense cases, King said. “A prosecutor has two obligations before they file a criminal charge,” she remarked. “One, they have to personally believe the person committed the crime. Two, that there is sufficient evidence to prove the case. By the time you have filed the charge, you have already made that determination and you believe they have done it.” Since her appointment, Bartlett said she is working to make the prosecutor’s office more technology advanced. Search warrants can now be done electronically and she has implemented itemized lists that chronicle when documents and evidence are sent to defense attorneys. Bartlett also requires law enforcement agencies to complete their investigations prior to charges being filed. She said that is done to make sure investigations are thorough and unbiased. “I want my office to be known for aggressive, but fair prosecution,” Bartlett aid. “Decisions are made based on information in the case, not who the defendant is, not who the victim is, not who family members are on either side, not who the defense attorneys are and not who the law enforcement officer is.” King said she is committed to holding offenders accountable for their crime, while also respecting the rights of victims. She said reports from law enforcement agencies will be reviewed and charges will be filed in a timely manner. “I believe I have a very good working relationship with law enforcement agencies that still exists today,” King said. “I have a proven track record of being tough on crime and at the same time at being fair and consistent. I think I have a proven record of ensuring victims’ rights and constitutional rights are protected.” Both candidates said they are committed to the area. King grew up in the Kansas City area and lived closer to St. Louis when she first began her job in Warren County which she now calls home. “People care about what is going on,” she said. “It’s a close-knit community. Where I’m from, virtually nobody knows who the prosecuting attorney is, truth be told. I like how you have daily contact with the public. I have a better idea and feel for what this community thinks is justice.” From the time she was 13 and wanted to be a prosecutor, Bartlett, who lives in Marthasville, is glad she can fulfill that dream here. “My kids go to school here, I know the community, I know the families,” she said. “I want to give back to my community. I want my community to be a safe place and a place I am proud to raise my children.”
Jennfier Bartlett, left; Kelly King, right.
