Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida has taken the unusual step of suspending Monique H. Worrell, the state prosecutor for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, which includes Orange and Osceola counties. The governor accused Worrell of incompetence and neglect of duty, citing her leniency towards violent criminals. This is the second time within a year that DeSantis has removed an elected state attorney, both of whom were Democrats.
DeSantis faced considerable criticism last year when he removed Andrew H. Warren, the top prosecutor in Tampa, after Warren joined 90 other elected prosecutors in pledging not to prosecute individuals involved in seeking or providing abortions. Many saw DeSantis’s actions as politically motivated. Nevertheless, Warren remains out of office, and DeSantis frequently mentions his removal in his campaign speeches.
In explaining his decision to suspend Worrell, DeSantis claimed that her office had failed to pursue mandatory minimum sentences for gun and drug trafficking crimes and had allowed juveniles to escape serious charges or incarceration. He also accused her of imposing lighter sentences when more severe ones were warranted, minimizing charges related to child pornography, and inappropriately enabling offenders to avoid criminal convictions.
Worrell had been aware that she was in DeSantis’s crosshairs, as he had previously criticized her office and requested documents pertaining to past arrests. In response, Worrell released data in March demonstrating that her prosecution rate was consistent with that of her predecessors. She cautioned against a governor abusing executive power to remove law enforcement officials from opposing parties, expressing concerns about the erosion of democracy.
Both Worrell and Warren have received support from groups associated with billionaire investor George Soros, a prominent liberal figure. DeSantis frequently invokes Soros’s name in a derisive manner to rally support during his presidential campaign. While DeSantis did not mention Soros in the context of Worrell’s suspension, right-wing commentators and members of his campaign have emphasized the Soros connection online.
In conclusion, Governor Ron DeSantis’s decision to suspend Monique H. Worrell, the state prosecutor for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, has sparked controversy. Worrell is accused of leniency towards violent criminals, prompting DeSantis to take action. This latest move echoes his previous removal of a Democrat prosecutor, Andrew H. Warren, in what critics argue was a politically motivated decision. The involvement of liberal billionaire George Soros in supporting these prosecutors adds another layer of complexity to the situation.
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