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Ricky Kidd relieved to see Missouri court review former prosecutor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — She prosecuted a wrongfully convicted man for murder. Now, more than 25 years later, Amy McGowan faces her own legal fate.

In Jackson County, McGowan prosecuted Ricky Kidd, who spent decades in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

In fact, she was prosecutor on several cases that have since been overturned in both Missouri and Kansas. McGowan retired from the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office in 2019 after Kidd was released.

But Wednesday was a day Kidd has waited for. The Missouri Supreme Court held a hearing in the case against the former Jackson County prosecutor.

Missouri’s high court will determine whether McGowan violated the rules of professional conduct and if her law license should be suspended indefinitely.

The state wasting no time lobbing their allegations.

“Respondent Amy McGowan failed to meet these obligations when prosecuting Ricky Kidd and Marcus Marol back in 96/97” a state attorney said at Wednesday’s hearing.

The state claims McGowan withheld key evidence, including depositions of other potential suspect, that could have exonerated Kidd when he was charged. Kidd was released from prison after serving more than 23 years behind bars.

The state faced significant pushback from the justices.

They challenged the credibility of Kidd’s former defense attorney Teresa Anderson, who admitted that she lied in a previous hearing and even allowed her client to commit perjury on the stand.

McGowan’s team, simply put, believes the case is history.

“Depositions were taking four and a half years before Sept. 11. Four and a half years, that’s how long ago these events are,” one defense attorney said.  

For Kidd, the court’s review is welcome news.

“It was a long time coming. I think we need to see more of these types of displays of seriousness,” Kidd said in an interview with FOX4.

Now the justices will review the briefs from both sides and make a decision on any possible disciplinary actions in the coming months.

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