Wesley Bell
Wesley Bell | |
|---|---|
| Prosecuting Attorney of St. Louis County | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Bob McCulloch |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Lindenwood University (BA) University of Missouri, Columbia (JD) |
Wesley Bell is a St. Louis area attorney, former public defender, former municipal judge, former municipal prosecutor and former city council member for Ferguson, Missouri. Currently Bell holds the office of Prosecuting Attorney for St. Louis County, Missouri.[1] In a major upset, he soundly defeated long-time yet controversial county prosecutor Bob McCulloch in the July 2018 Democratic primary election.[2] Bell became the first black county prosecuting attorney in St. Louis County history when he took office in January 2019.[3]
Early life
Bell was raised in North St. Louis County, Missouri. He is the son of a police officer father and civil servant mother. Bell is a graduate of Hazelwood East High School, Lindenwood University, and University of Missouri School of Law.[4]
Career
After graduating from law school Bell worked as a St. Louis County public defender, an adjunct law professor, and a municipal court judge. In 2015 during the Ferguson Uprising he was elected to the city council with strong support from some activists. During his time on the council he worked with Obama’s DOJ to implement the consent decree to reform the city’s criminal justice system through both police and court reform.[5]
Running for the county prosecutor race on a platform of community based policing, assigning special prosecutors in homicides by police, pledging to never seek the death penalty, reforming cash bail/bond and never using it for low-level offenses, expanding diversion programs and the county’s drug courts, and promoting equitable due process, he received significant support from local and national activists and advocacy groups.[6][3][2]
County Prosecutor
Prosecutor-Elect
Between the election and Bell's taking office a political conversation began about whether Bell, who is an opponent of the death penalty, would ask for a death penalty in the event that Thomas Bruce, the suspect in the Catholic Supply shooting, is convicted.[7][8][9][10]. Bell pledged during the campaign to never seek the death penalty.[11] Former St. Louis police chief Tim Fitch has urged Bell to turn the case over to federal prosecutors so that they can seek the death penalty.[11]
In December 2018, less than a month before Bell took office, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Office attorneys and investigators voted to join the St. Louis Police Officers Association (SLPOA, the city police chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police)[12], eliciting immediate criticism[13][14], including accusations of conflict of interest and that the staff is attempting to curtail reform in an antidemocratic maneuver. Concerns were raised both locally[15] and nationally [16], and even by the Ethical Society of Police (ESOP), which is composed of (predominantly black) active and retired law enforcement officers.[17]
See also
References
- ^ Jordan, Sandra (November 6, 2018). "Victory night for Wesley Bell, former Ferguson councilman makes history as first black St. Louis County Prosecutor". St. Louis American.
- ^ a b Ferner, Matt (August 7, 2018). "St. Louis Voters Oust Prosecutor Who Didn't Bring Charges In Cop Killing Of Michael Brown". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ a b Levitz, Eric (August 8, 2018). "Progressive Reformer Ousts St. Louis Prosecutor Who Didn't Charge Cop in Michael Brown Case". The Daily Intelligencer. New York (magazine). Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ Allen, Ron; Noble Jones, Brittany (August 10, 2018). "Game changer: Wesley Bell ousts Bob McCulloch for prosecutor in St. Louis County". NBC News. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ "Vote Wesley Bell". (Wesley Bell campaign website). Friends of Wesley Bell. 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-28.
- ^ Stockman, Farah (August 8, 2018). "In Ferguson, a New Prosecutor 'Gives Us Hope' 4 Years After Shooting". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
- ^ Blume, Brett (28 November 2018). "Former STL County Police Chief Wants Death Penalty for Catholic Supply Killer If Thomas Bruce is convicted, Tim Fitch doesn't think Wesley Bell will push for it, though". KMOX. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ Byers, Christine (28 November 2018). "Death penalty should be on the table for Catholic Supply killer, former police chief says". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ Patrick, Robert; Benchaabane, Nassim (27 November 2017). "Catholic Supply suspect requests public defender". St. Louis Post Dispatch. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ "Calls to seek the death penalty in Catholic Supply case". KTVI. 27 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ a b Murphy, Doyle (27 November 2018). "Email Print Share Ex-St. Louis Co Police Chief to Wesley Bell: Give Catholic Supply Shooter to Feds". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ Salter, Jim (December 18, 2018). "Activists concerned by prosecutors joining police union". Associated Press.
- ^ Jaco, Charles (December 19, 2018). "Staff prosecutors joining police union sends Wesley Bell a message". St. Louis American.
- ^ Jones, Tishaura O. (December 17, 2018). "Fear of black leadership in St. Louis". St. Louis American.
- ^ Messenger, Tony (December 16, 2018). "Messenger: St. Louis County prosecutors seek to join police union before Wesley Bell takes over". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
- ^ Balko, Radley (December 17, 2018). "A reformer won the election for St. Louis County DA. But his future subordinates might join the police union". The Washington Post.
- ^ Lacy, Akela (December 20, 2018). "Before Criminal Justice Reformer Is Even Sworn In, St. Louis Prosecutors Have Joined a Police Union". The Intercept. Retrieved 2018-12-21.