Amid increasing calls for her resignation, embattled Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner dug in this afternoon, hosting a press conference that at times turned contentious, with supporters taking it upon themselves to shout out answers to questions reporters put to Gardner. With several dozen of her supporters gathered on the fourth floor of the Carnahan Courts Building, Gardner’s own demeanor was measured, but some of the supporters were feisty in their defense of her, applauding much of what Gardner had to say and jeering at several questions asked by reporters. At the press conference, Gardner doubled down on her strategy of blaming Judge Bryan Hettenbach for 21-year-old Daniel Riley remaining free on bond even after he violated that bond dozens of times.