Jane Darst is a career prosecutor with extensive trial and management experience. She serves as a faculty member at Vera Causa Group as well as a senior prosecutor in St. Charles County, Missouri.  

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Jane’s prosecutorial career began at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted thousands misdemeanor and felony cases. She spent several years in the Sex Crimes and Family Violence unit before being promoted to a general felony trial team leader. When Jane was appointed as interim head of the Sex Crimes and Family Violence Units, she supervised seven attorneys and their investigators. Jane was responsible for executing office policy and revised the unit structure to enhance its functioning.  Serving as First Assistant Circuit Attorney for 16 years, Jane was responsible for an office of nearly 150 employees, including direct supervisory responsibilities for more than 60 non-attorney staff, as well as a multimillion-dollar budget. In this role, Jane handled personnel matters, including hiring and separation decisions, training, and assisted in the creation and implementation of a new performance management system. 

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Since 2011, Jane has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at St. Louis University School of Law, teaching students with field placements at state and federal prosecutors’ offices, on issues unique to prosecution. Other teaching and guest speaking includes NDAA trial advocacy faculty, Co-Director for Washington University School of Law Prosecution Clinic, Missouri Office of Prosecution Services trial school and the Missouri Bar Association, Salt Lake County Utah District Attorney’s Association, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Academy and Citizen’s Academy. 

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Jane worked at the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department as the Program Coordinator for the Police Prosecutor Partnership Initiative, a BJA grant aimed at reducing gun violence in the City of St. Louis through interagency partnerships, the implementation of NIBIN technology, and increased community outreach to improve victim and witness participation in the criminal justice system. Ms. Darst was responsible for grant reporting and facilitating collaboration among researchers, state and federal prosecutors, and law enforcement officers. 

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Ms. Darst holds a juris doctor degree from St. Louis University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in business from Missouri State University.