ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — St. Charles County Prosecutor Tim Lohmar has announced he has resigned from his elected position effective immediately to go into private practice.
In a two-page statement, Lohmar wrote in part:
“Inevitably, there will be questions about my decision and about its timing mid-term. Let me answer them this way: this is not a sudden decision nor an easy one. The job of prosecuting attorney is rewarding, challenging, and at times grueling. My family and I came to the conclusion several months ago that it was time for me to consider other professional opportunities as I realized I could no longer give this job the energy and attention it requires and still have time for my family and for my own health and well-being. I did not want to shortchange my colleagues, my family, the people of St. Charles, or myself. Because of that, we knew it was time to begin a new chapter.”
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann has appointed former Warren County Prosecutor Jennifer Bartlett to serve as the interim county prosecutor until he nominates a permanent replacement to complete the rest of Lohmar’s term.
Ehlmann told 5 On Your Side Thursday that Lohmar told him of his plans to resign about six weeks ago.
"I appreciated that because we have done a lot of thinking about it and I couldn't say anything until he actually resigned because once again, he's not under my control," Ehlmann said. "He's an elected official.
"It's up to him...Until he actually gave me a piece of paper said I resigned this morning, there really wasn't anything I could say or do. But believe me, we've been doing a lot of thinking, a lot of talking here in the office."
Ehlmann said he plans to make the nomination to replace Lohmar before the April 10 Council meeting. Council members will have 15 days to reject the nomination. If not, the nominee will be formally appointed to the office.
"The good thing is we have a lot of good candidates to chose from," Ehlmann said. "The bad news is, I've got a tough decision to make."
Lohmar won re-election for a third term in November 2022.
In his written statement, Lohmar outlines five accomplishments his administration has made since he was first elected in 2012, including the establishment of a Special Victim’s Unit, working with the Criminal Interdiction Task Force, a “zero-tolerance approach” to violent crime by seeking high bonds and mandatory prisons sentences for gun offenses, solving cold cases including the murder of Angie Housman as well as relationships with judges, police departments and hiring “excellent lawyers and staff.”
Lohmar’s tenure has not been free from controversy.
In 2019, the O’Fallon Police Department asked the Missouri Attorney to investigate Lohmar for allegedly harassing his ex-girlfriend, St. Charles County Judge Erin Burlison. Lohmar and Burlison then issued public statements and Lohmar was never charged with a crime.
Then, in July 2022, police in Miller County, Mo. arrested Lohmar on suspicion of DWI. In a search warrant, an officer wrote Lohmar “attempted to flash his badge,” during the stop, which happened after Lohmar drove around emergency vehicles stopped to attend to an unrelated incident.
"Any assertion that I presented my badge is patently false," Lohmar said in an emailed statement to 5 On Your Side. "I keep my badge in a wallet along with my driver's license and credit cards. The fact that my badge may have been visible was only because I was trying to comply with the officer's request."
Lohmar refused a breath test and a field sobriety test, so the deputy filed a search warrant to draw blood for a blood test, documents stated. A blood sample is used to determine a person's blood alcohol content. The legal limit for operating a vehicle is .08 BAC.
The results of that blood draw remain sealed and a hearing on a motion allowing him to keep his driver's license is scheduled for April 3.
He has not been charged with a crime.
Ehlmann declined to comment on Lohmar's DWI arrest.
"I've heard just in the last week that there are rumors, I'm not even sure exactly what the nature of the rumors are, but they're not complimentary," Ehlmann said. "But again, they're rumors.
"And people will speculate. I'm certainly not going to speculate until someone presents me with some evidence that these rumors are true."
St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Welsey Bell provided a statement Thursday afternoon on Lohmar's resignation, which reads:
"Tim informed me of his pending decision several months ago, so this announcement does not come as a surprise to me. During my time as St. Louis County prosecutor, our offices have worked very well together under Tim's leadership. From the very beginning, Tim has been nothing but supportive to myself and our office, and I wish him nothing but the best."
Lohmar's full statement can be found below:
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