New St. Louis County prosecuting attorney discusses priorities for the job

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - After the winter storm closed the St. Louis County Courthouse Monday, Tuesday marked the first day on the job for St. Louis County's new prosecutor, Melissa Price Smith.

She'd been an assistant St. Louis County prosecutor since 2008, most recently leading the child abuse and sex crimes units, and says she's taking the politics out of the job.

Price Smith is the first woman to hold the position. She hardly seems to be basking in the glow of history, refusing to post her name at the door.

“This isn’t about ego. This is about moving forward in strength, together. It takes all of us to make it happen,” she said.

Price Smith is adding to the office’s specialized units, pulling together a violent crime unit from the 50 assistant prosecutors on staff to eliminate a backlog of violent crime cases. 

“We have hundreds of cases that have not been reviewed yet. Those aren’t the kind of cases that can sit in a pile waiting to be reviewed. Violent crimes need to be reviewed in real-time, immediately,” she said.

Additionally, she’s leaving behind the legal and political battles that ended only a couple of hours before her swearing-in on Friday.

Democrat County Executive Sam Page and Republican Gov. Mike Parson each claimed authority to appoint former Prosecutor Wesley Bell’s replacement when he was elected to Congress.

Page appointed former Democrat Congressional candidate Cort Van Ostran. Parson appointed Price Smith. 

Things got ugly.

Price Smith told an open hearing of the Council’s Committee of the Whole that during the interview process with Page’s selection committee, she was asked to dig up dirt on a Page political rival. 

She is not pursuing the alleged “smear” case. 

“It wasn’t a crime, I guess?” FOX 2’s Andy Banker asked. 

“It was inappropriate,” she responded.

After Page lost all court battles over the appointment, he attended her swearing in. 

“I believe Dr. Page and I have the same goal of making St. Louis County safe, and it’s time to put all of that behind us... I’m the right person for the job, though. St. Louis County needs a prosecutor. St. Louis County doesn’t need another politician," Price Smith added.

Still, she does plan to seek election to the post in 2026. Bell was re-elected to the job in 2022. Her appointment is only for the remainder of Bell's term.