Sam Page

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page promised to veto the measure, which could go before voters on April 8.

Gov. Mike Parson appointed Melissa Price Smith to fill out the term of Wesley Bell, who was recently sworn in as Missouri’s 1st Congressional District representative.

Melissa Price Smith’s swearing-in follows a monthslong legal fight between Missouri and county officials over who has the power to appoint the prosecutor.

The Missouri Court of Appeals issued the ruling several hours after holding a hearing Thursday.

Melissa Price Smith, Gov. Mike Parson’s nominee for county prosecutor, made the claim during a question-and-answer session with members of the St. Louis County Council during a committee hearing on Tuesday.

Circuit Judge Brian May said he will issue his decision promptly. His ruling will almost certainly be appealed.

Gov. Mike Parson has chosen St. Louis County Assistant Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith as the next St. Louis County Prosecutor. County and state leaders are currently in a legal battle over who has the authority to appoint the prosecutor.

St. Louis County Executive Sam Page nominated Cort VanOstran to the post Dec. 3, but Gov. Mike Parson has challenged Page’s authority to do so in court.

Cort VanOstran resigned his job as a federal prosecutor this week. He was in private practice before that and ran for Congress in 2018.

The lawsuit filed Wednesday in St. Louis County Circuit Court argues that because prosecutors exercise police powers, the governor should appoint the successor to Wesley Bell.