ST. LOUIS — The new St. Louis County, Missouri, prosecuting attorney is shaking up his staff and instituting new policies just two days into the job.
Former Ferguson Councilman Wesley Bell defeated 28-year incumbent Bob McCulloch in the August 2018 Democratic primary and ran unopposed in November. He was sworn in Jan. 1, 2019, becoming the first-ever African-American to hold the office.
Wesley Bell is sworn in as St. Louis County prosecutor. Photos by new @stltoday photo intern Colter Peterson, give him a follow at @DropIn_Photo pic.twitter.com/ni7bsR3YV4
— David Carson (@PDPJ) January 1, 2019
He wasted no time implementing some of his reformist agenda. Bell’s office says it will no longer prosecute marijuana possession cases, among other changes.
McCulloch had a reputation as a hardline law-and-order prosecutor. Bell wants to change the cash bail system, opposes the death penalty and pledged to hold police officers accountable if they step out of line.
Feature Image: Portrait of Wesley Bell. August 14, 2014, Ferguson, MI. by Jamelle Bouie via Flickr. Creative Commons 2.0, image was cropped and edited.
