Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has suspended Monique Worrell, the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney, citing her “dereliction of duty” concerning crime. DeSantis accused Worrell of routinely letting violent offenders off the hook, including avoiding mandatory minimum sentences for gun and drug crimes and allowing juvenile offenders to evade serious charges. Andrew Bain, a Florida judge, will replace Worrell.
The governor held a press conference to announce the suspension, where he stated:
“The practices and policies of her office have allowed murderers, other violent offenders, and dangerous drug traffickers to receive extremely reduced sentences and escape the full consequences of their criminal conduct. In some cases, these offenders have evaded incarceration altogether,”
“State Attorney Worrell’s practices undermine Florida law and endanger the safety, security, and welfare of the communities that Ms. Worrell was elected to serve,”
This isn’t the first time DeSantis has taken such action; he previously suspended another state attorney in 2022 for refusing to enforce Florida’s abortion ban. Critics of Worrell also allege that she limited charges in child pornography cases and avoided enhancing sentences based on prior offenses.
