Gov. Ron DeSantis took a sweeping and controversial step on Wednesday by wielding his power to suspend State Attorney Monique Worrell. The move, touted as a crackdown on crime, raises questions about the extent of DeSantis’ influence over law enforcement and judicial matters.
Worrell, who was democratically elected in November 2020 to serve as the state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Florida’s Orange and Osceola counties, has been abruptly removed from her position. DeSantis justified his decision by accusing Worrell of “neglecting her duty to faithfully prosecute crime in her jurisdiction,” a claim that demands closer scrutiny.