ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Missouri Gov. Mike Parson announced Thursday his pick to replace Wesley Bell as St. Louis County Prosecutor, naming Melissa Price Smith as his choice to be Bell's successor.
According to the Governor's Office, Smith has been a member of the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office since 2008, currently serving as assistant prosecuting attorney and supervisor of the office's Sexual Assault and Child Abuse team.
"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. 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 release, says she is "honored to accept the appointment as St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney".
"I have proudly served the citizens of St. Louis County for the past 17 years. I am a lifelong St. Louis County resident, and I am a career prosecutor with 20 years of experience," said Smith in a statement. "I manage the Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Unit and have worked in nearly every area of the office, prosecuting every type of crime. I will utilize this 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."
Parson's appointment of Smith comes over a week after St. Louis County Executive Sam Page tabbed former federal prosecutor Cort VanOstran as Wesley Bell's successor.
It is still unclear who will ultimately become St. Louis County Prosecutor following Parson and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey suing St. Louis County, attempting to block VanOstran's nomination.
St. Louis County Councilman Mark Harder recently suggested the prosecuting attorney position can remain unfilled while the courts settle the debate over who can name Bell's replacement.
VanOstran, who was on 'The Chris and Amy Show' Thursday morning right before Parson named Smith as his pick for St. Louis County Prosecutor, disagrees.
"We got to be responsible when it comes to public safety," said VanOstran. "Wesley Bell is going to be gone, he's going to be in Congress. We have to have a prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County on Jan. 4."
VanOstran wouldn't say directly if he would serve the role in an acting capacity if he didn't receive approval from the County Council but said he hopes to have their support.
A court hearing on the case is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, Dec. 18, with both sides scheduled to be in court.
Should Page win to pick Bell's succesor, the county charter states VanOstran will still need to be approved by the St. Louis County Council. VanOstran told KMOX conversations with County Council members are still ongoing, VanOstran admits it can be hard to gauge support.
"I believe I have good support on a number of members of the county council as well as the incoming county council," said VanOstran.
If he take the office of prosecuting attorney, VanOstran would be one of the highest profile openly gay prosecutors in the country.
Bell, who will be sworn into Congress on Jan. 3, previously spoke to KMOX about how he preferred his successor be someone who was a part of his leadership team.
The appointment of Smith by Parson would fit closer to Bell's preference over Page's pick of VanOstran.
"From the day I've walked into this office as St. Louis County Prosecutor, I started preparing my leadership team as well as the newest attorney to step into leadership roles," said Bell. "There are several folks who are on my leadership team that I think and I know will do a very good job."