Gabrielle Russon
Attorney General James Uthmeier is sending six prosecutors to help Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell catch up on a 13,500-case backlog in which no one has been arrested.
“There is no excuse for non-prosecution politics that allow dangerous criminals to go free. The people of Orlando deserve better,” said Uthmeier, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ former Chief of Staff, in a statement Monday.
Worrell had initially asked the Attorney General to send her 13 prosecutors, saying her office is understaffed.
The feud between Republicans and Worrell, an Orlando Democrat, is intensifying.
Meanwhile, DeSantis also said Monday that the Attorney General is watching Worrell as Democrats fear DeSantis and Uthmeier are building a case to try to throw Worrell from office a second time.
Worrell, who is holding a news conference Monday afternoon, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
At his news conference Monday in Kissimmee, DeSantis was asked about the Grand Jury investigation into Worrell, which had come to light just as Worrell was being sworn into office in January for a new term.
“You do not have the ability to pick and choose which laws you’re going to enforce. You don’t have the ability or the authority to let the inmates run the asylum. So I know the Attorney General is keeping a close eye on what she’s doing,” DeSantis said Monday. “That could end up on my desk if there’s proof that somebody is neglecting their duties or satisfying one of the other provisions of the Florida constitution, then obviously I could act again, but that’s separate from any type of Grand Jury, and those Grand Juries are outside my purview.”
Last week, Uthmeier attacked Worrell for being soft on crime for a case involving child sexual abuse materials — even though the case was in Lake County, outside Worrell’s jurisdiction.
DeSantis suspended Worrell in 2023, accusing her of failing to prosecute crimes properly. Worrell and Democrats called her removal politically motivated.
In November, Worrell reclaimed her job and beat Andrew Bain, the DeSantis appointee who had replaced her, with 57% of the vote.
DeSantis appointed Bain back as an Orange County Judge last week.
