Missouri governor and St. Louis County executive name appointees for same prosecutor job

— When the elected prosecutor in Missouri’s largest county leaves his job for a seat in Congress next month, an appointed replacement will take his spot. But Page counters that the relevant law here is the St. Louis County Charter, which “clearly states that the county executive is authorized to appoint the prosecuting attorney when a vacancy occurs,” his spokesman, Doug Moore, said in a statement on Friday. Smith, 56, has worked in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office since 2008 and currently supervises the team that prosecutes sexual assault and child abuse. “For the success of our state and the safety of our people, we need an experienced St. Louis County Prosecutor who demands and upholds law and order,” Parson said in a statement. “Melissa is committed to the rule of law, and we are confident that she will deliver, as demonstrated by her distinguished career putting criminals behind bars, including child abusers, perpetrators of sexual assault, and violent offenders.” Smith, in a statement, promised to use her “experience and institutional knowledge to fight for justice for crime victims, hold offenders accountable, and work with law enforcement towards a safer St. Louis County.” VanOstran, 36, resigned as a federal prosecutor for Missouri’s Eastern District after his appointment.