ST. CROIX — Assistant Attorney General Amie Simpson, chief of the Criminal Division on St. Croix, is set to resign within the next few weeks, with a tentative departure date of August 8, according to the attorney general.
Simpson’s resignation, after nearly six years with the department, comes amid severe staffing shortages, a heavy caseload, and speculation about workplace burnout.
Attorney General Gordon Rhea praised Simpson’s work ethic and leadership but declined to say whether recent public scrutiny or internal pressures played a direct role in her decision to step down.
“I think there were a lot of factors, and many of them were personal, and I’m not going to discuss them,” he said. “She was, obviously, under a lot of stress, as is everybody in the Justice Department, given our shortage of attorneys and support staff, and also the massive volume that we handle.”
Rhea pointed out there are more than 600 pending criminal cases in the St. Croix District in addition to others involving traffic violations and family matters.
“It’s a very strenuous job, and a lot of people do burn out,” he said, noting Simpson’s longevity at the DOJ. “Often, I’m astounded at how well she’s performed given the number of tasks that she has had to undertake. So, whether that stress played a part in her decision that it was time to do something else, I really can’t say for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.”
Simpson’s resignation follows criticism she faced from senators during the DOJ’s budget hearing last month after losing a second-degree assault case to a defendant who represented himself — Franklin Xavier. Rhea said, however, that Simpson never cited that backlash as a reason for leaving the department.
“In this business, you’re used to different types of blowback,” he said, adding that 95% of criminal cases get resolved before trial. “So, the ones that go to trial are usually the ones that are tough ones that have some problems in them.”
Simpson’s departure will leave a gap in the St. Croix Criminal Division and further strain an already overburdened Department of Justice, which has been operating short-staffed across multiple divisions.
“For a short period of time, we will be shorthanded,” Rhea said, noting the DOJ has been shorthanded. “We need more attorneys, and particularly in the Criminal Division, and so we will have to cover that. But obviously, we’ll do what we can do, which we’re used to doing.”
Rhea testified during the DOJ’s budget hearing that the Criminal Divisions in both districts each need four additional prosecutors, as well as litigation assistants and victim advocates to handle their massive caseloads and cover the courtrooms. He said two more attorneys are needed for the Civil Division and four for the Solicitor General’s Division. He warned that these deficiencies not only impact the ability of the attorneys to perform their work, but also leave them exhausted and stressed, undermine morale, and risk inducing them to leave.
The attorney general pointed out the “excellent job” Simpson has done while working in the understaffed department. He said she probably works harder than any other attorney he has ever seen. As Simpson prepares to leave the DOJ, Rhea noted she recently won an important case against Daryl Jean-Baptiste, who was found guilty Wednesday of involuntary manslaughter for causing a fatal car crash on November 3, 2019 that claimed the life of 24-year-old Davindra Ramsundar Jr.
READ MORE: “Daryl Jean-Baptiste convicted in Davindra Ramsundar Jr.’s fatal crash; faces up to five years”
“She’s not only been head of our Criminal Division and handles all of that, but because of our shortage of attorneys, she also carries what is close to a full caseload, handles that, and then also covers a lot of the other operations — like Advice of Rights, traffic court, and those kinds of things,” Rhea said. “So, I think she’s been an extremely valuable, hardworking member of our office, and I regret seeing her go, but I respect, obviously, the decisions that are made by staff members.”
