ST. LOUIS — She's the longest-serving circuit attorney in St. Louis with 16 years at the helm.
On Thursday morning, Jennifer Joyce explained she didn't run for a fifth term in 2016 because she thought the office needed a change and frankly, she was tired.
She retired, but she jokes she failed at retirement.
Joyce created a consultant firm to help prosecuting attorneys, lawyers, government agencies and other clients across the country with communication and management skills.
Seven years later, Joyce looked back at her time in office.
"When I became a prosecutor, I helped achieve justice and fought for victims," she said. "The number one feeling was that I was proud of that office."
Proud of an office that now faces scrutiny.
Kim Gardner announced she is resigning on June 1 after criticism that her office left a backlog of cases, failed to communicate effectively with victims and had prosecutors who didn't show up to trials.
5 On Your Side's Justina Coronel asked Joyce if she had ever seen anything like this happen.
"Never, I have never seen anything like this. I think we can all clearly see that the office is not functioning properly," she said.
Joyce said her feelings were different in 2016, when Gardner ran first ran for circuit attorney.
"I endorsed a different candidate but when she won I was on team Kim Gardner as everyone in the office was. People were excited, she came with a different approach," she said.
Now, Joyce sees cracks in the foundation.
"I was heartbroken by that. I hate to see the office struggling and in turmoil, I'm very sad that things turned out this way," Joyce said.
Joyce's priorities then are her worries now.
"I worry about the victims and I worry about the defendants. The fact that we have people sitting in jail without indication if their case would be tried. I worry about that as well," she said.
Joyce, who says she won't apply this time, has ideas to improve the office.
"They have to rebuild relationships with judges, police. The first two weeks you have to look to really see what's going on in there. The second phase can take six weeks to a year and getting it up and functioning," Joyce said. "If it were for me, I would ask the judges for two weeks for civil trials and no criminal trials and those two weeks, it’ll be on hands on deck. And then after that, we would be able to prosecute again and have cases in court. Be we would not be working at the highest level for some time."
When in office, Joyce shared there were 60 to 70 attorneys there. She explains there will need to be a large infusion of manpower in that office.
Joyce said the next person should be ready to have good management skills and tough skin.
Joyce admits the circuit attorney's office tends to be under a microscope.
"Don't be afraid to get advice from people who know more than you. Nobody goes to a job like that and know everything they need to know. It’s impossible," she said.
While it may take years to get a good foundation, Joyce is hopeful the office will build back up.
"My hope is whoever gets this that we rally around this person and office and do everything we can as a community to support the building of the circuit attorney's office because I think it happen, it can go back to what it was. It can be better than it was," she told 5 On Your Side.
She even said she'd willing to help in any way.
"I love that office," she noted.
Governor Mike Parson will make the choice by June 1, which is the day that Gardner is stepping down.