James Uthmeier wants Monique Worrell prosecuting more cases; she says to send more prosecutors

If the Attorney General’s Office wants Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell to prosecute more people, she says she needs more prosecutors on her payroll.

Worrell sent a letter to Attorney General James Uthmeier requesting 13 additional prosecutors and support staff to help process non-arrest cases. The Orlando Democrat said the backlog of those cases soared during the 17-month period when she was suspended on grounds she had not adequately prosecuted crimes.

“Across the State of Florida, State Attorney Offices are struggling with budgetary limitations and find it extremely difficult to fully staff our offices,” Worrell wrote.

“Similarly, the 9th Circuit has been historically underfunded due to the exponential growth in the Central Florida population over the years. Without fail every year, we request additional funding from the legislature to hire more prosecutors and staff to handle the increase in cases which naturally comes with an increase in population. While we have not been successful, we nonetheless work extremely hard with the limited human resources we have to keep the citizens of the 9th Circuit safe.”

She sent the letter a day after Uthmeier posted concerns that Worrell implemented policies that would lead to injustice. He attacked Worrell and other prosecutors around the country seeking criminal justice reforms backed by political donor George Soros, who previously supported Worrell’s campaign.

Uthmeier shared coverage of Worrell’s recent announcement that she will only pursue charges against criminals if police obtain arrest warrants before bringing cases to her office.

“Prosecutors play a vital role in keeping the community safe and pursuing justice, and Soros-backed prosecutors do not have the right to put Floridians at risk. The blanket policies announced by Monique Worrell are contrary to the essential duties of a prosecutor,” Uthmeier posted.

“As Attorney General, state law gives me general supervisory authority of State Attorney Worrell’s office, and I will direct my office to review her policies and their impact on public safety. We will use every tool available to step in and protect the people of Central Florida.”

Importantly, Uthmeier served as DeSantis’ Chief of Staff when Worrell was suspended. DeSantis named Uthmeier to the job of Attorney General after appointing former Attorney General Ashley Moody to the U.S. Senate. Worrell in November won another term and returned to her post after defeating Andrew Bain, who DeSantis appointed as her replacement.

Worrell addressed Uthmeier’s post in her letter, though noted it had not been accompanied by any official correspondence.

“It is important to note that this office received 12,118 non-arrest cases in 2024 alone, most of which were not viable for prosecution and created a backlog for unnecessary review by our limited attorneys and staff,” Worrell wrote.

“However, this non-arrest problem did not start with my administration, and in fact, dates back to at least 2013 and four prior State Attorneys. Likewise, non-arrest cases are not only a problem in the 9th Circuit, as other State Attorneys have taken similar action in refusing cases from law enforcement that, on their face, cannot be proven in a court of law.”

If Uthmeier wants to ensure Worrell’s Office pursues charges in the non-arrest cases, she said a tool available would be the budgeting of extra personnel.

“My goal is not to increase work for law enforcement but to lean on our partnership for their support in building the strongest cases possible by conducting more thorough investigations and making appropriate probable cause determinations so that we may successfully prosecute the cases submitted to our office,” she wrote.

“Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request. I look forward to hearing from you concerning this matter.”

AG Letter Regarding Non Arrest Policy 4-4-25 by Jacob Ogles on Scribd