Circuit Attorney Gabriel Gore seeks more prosecutors, diversion staff and conviction‑integrity funding

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabriel Gore told aldermen on May 7 that his office has rebuilt staffing and is seeking additional budget support to retain attorneys, expand diversion programs and sustain conviction‑integrity work.

Gore said hiring has accelerated since his appointment: "We currently have 48 assistant circuit attorneys," he told the committee, adding that the office has hired or extended offers to new graduates who will join in October and other experienced prosecutors slated to start in June. He said the office’s budgeted goal is a trial staff of about 60 attorneys and that the office hopes to reach the mid‑50s by the fall if current offers and recruits accept and no attrition occurs.

The circuit attorney described three priorities the office presented as unfunded requests: two entry‑level attorney (Attorney I) positions and an additional paralegal and administrative assistant. Gore said the Attorney I slots are needed to staff bond dockets, preliminary hearings and grand jury functions and form the primary training pathway for new prosecutors. "If we don't have these two positions, we're not going to be able to fully staff that unit," Gore said.

Gore highlighted cross‑cutting investments the committee funded previously and the returns he expects from continued support: a newly rebuilt data‑analysis team; historic investments in diversion and a Tap‑In Center that helps people resolve bench warrants without arrest; and a conviction‑integrity attorney position that coordinated work leading to recent exonerations. He credited private law firms for pro bono partnerships that enabled complex post‑conviction work, citing the Thompson Coburn pro bono team in the exoneration of Christopher Dunn.

On retention, Gore told the committee salary competitiveness remains essential. He said the office implemented targeted raises in December 2023 and again in December 2024 to improve competitiveness and recognize attorneys working above typical capacity; those increases responded to turnover and to higher pay in neighboring jurisdictions such as St. Louis County. Gore also requested that the committee confirm an across‑the‑board 3% city raise already implemented for employees was reflected in the office’s budget documents.

Why it matters: the circuit attorney’s office prosecutes violent and property crimes and runs diversion and conviction‑integrity efforts that affect community safety and criminal‑justice outcomes. Gore said better pay, staffing for data and paralegal support, and preserved funding for diversion will let the office both reduce backlog and focus prosecutors on violent felonies.

Next steps: Gore asked the committee to fund two Attorney I positions and additional legal support staff; he also asked the committee and budget office to verify inclusion of a citywide 3% pay increase in the office budget. Committee members indicated support in principle and said they will consider the requests during budget deliberations.

Ending: Gore thanked the committee and framed the requests as necessary to sustain restored services: "Without the support of this committee and the budget, we wouldn't be where we are now," he said.