Earlier today, Florida’s Supreme Court upheld Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Executive Order to suspend Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell, who served in Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit for Orange and Osceola Counties.
DeSantis said his Executive Order to suspend Worrell was due to Worrell’s failure to pursue minimum mandatory sentences and sentencing enhancements, including in cases involving gun crimes and child pornography.
The majority opinion of Florida’s Supreme Court stated that the Executive Order met constitutional requirements by specifying the grounds for suspension—neglect of duty and incompetence—and providing factual allegations related to these charges. The justices emphasized that their role was to ensure the procedural adequacy of the suspension order, not to assess the sufficiency of the evidence, which is the responsibility of the Florida Senate.
“We cannot agree with Worrell that the allegations in the Executive Order are impermissibly vague, nor that they address conduct that falls within the lawful exercise of prosecutorial discretion,”
