In a recent article for the ABA Journal, Thompson Coburn senior counsel Gordon Ankney reflects on an unexpected return to the courtroom and the lessons it revealed about the state of modern prosecution. “On my 81st birthday, I found myself back in the courtroom, cross-examining a defendant and his ballistics experts in a murder trial,” Gordon writes, an experience far removed from his expectation that he had largely closed that chapter of his career. His return followed a staffing crisis in the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office in 2023.
Gordon volunteered to help and was sworn in as a special assistant circuit attorney. He was assigned 10 homicide cases, all several years old, and ultimately went on to conclude 25 homicide matters, half through jury trials. A central focus of his work was mentoring younger prosecutors. Each case paired Gordon with a junior attorney from the beginning, allowing them to prepare together, discuss strategy, and share responsibility at trial. “The idea was for them to experience a case from beginning to end,” he explains.
He also shares how prosecution has changed, particularly the prevalence of firearms and video evidence, and how those changes complicate jury trials and self-defense claims. Despite those challenges, he emphasizes the enduring human side of the work. “I may not get paid, but I am compensated well,” he writes. As his pro bono service winds down and younger prosecutors step more fully into these roles, Gordon hopes he has passed along a core value that guided his career. “Honest, competent prosecutors are the backbone of our justice system,” he writes, noting that there is no greater responsibility than representing the public and ensuring justice is done.
Read the full article here (registration required).
