Florida Supreme Court Sides With DeSantis In Suspension Of Orlando Area State Attorney
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| Supreme Court of Florida. Credit Wiki Commons |
ORLANDO, Florida - The Florida Supreme Court ruled 6-1 in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' suspension of Monique H. Worrell, the former State Attorney of the Ninth Judicial Circuit for Orange County and Osceola County.
Worrell sought a writ of quo warranto and a writ of mandamus in response to her suspension by Governor Ron DeSantis through Executive Order 23-160.
The court, however, denied Worrell's petition, affirming her suspension from office.
The Executive Order, issued by Governor DeSantis, cited reasons for Worrell's suspension, alleging neglect of duty and incompetence during her tenure. It detailed several specific allegations, including claims that her office's charging practices had allowed violent offenders, drug traffickers, serious juvenile offenders, and pedophiles to evade appropriate incarceration under Florida law.
Additionally, it accused Worrell of hindering the pursuit of mandatory minimum sentences and sentencing enhancements in various cases.
In its ruling, the Florida Supreme Court acknowledged its limited role in reviewing such suspension orders, emphasizing the need to ascertain whether the governor had specified valid grounds for suspension.
While Worrell contended that the allegations were vague and fell within the realm of prosecutorial discretion, the court found them sufficiently specific and relevant to the stated grounds for suspension.
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| Front row, (l) to (r): Justice Charles T. Canady; Chief Justice Carlos G. Muñiz; Justice Jorge Labarga. Back row, (l) to (r): Justice Renatha Francis; Justice John D. Couriel; Justice Jamie R. Grosshans; Justice Meredith Sasso. Credit: Florida Supreme Court |
"Worrell was overwhelmingly elected in 2020 with more than sixty-five percent of the vote," Justice Labarga wrote in his dissent.
"Because the bedrock of our democracy is the right to elect our public officials in fair and open elections, the suspension of a duly elected constitutional officer must be viewed as an enormous undertaking that requires clear justification."
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