Florida attorney general sending prosecutors to help with Monique Worrell's backlog of 13,500 cases | FOX 35 Orlando
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Florida attorney general sending prosecutors to help with Monique Worrell's backlog of 13,500 cases

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Updated  April 14, 2025 10:46am EDT
Orange County
FOX 35 Orlando

FULL | Florida attorney general, Orange County sheriff news conference

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier held a news conference Monday with Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox, announcing plans to deploy a team of prosecutors to assist local law enforcement and address a growing case backlog in Orange County.

The Brief

  • On Monday, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that his office will deploy a team of prosecutors to support State Attorney Monique Worrell in tackling a backlog of 13,500 cases.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is sending a team of prosecutors to help State Attorney Monique Worrell of the Ninth Judicial Circuit in addressing a backlog of 13,500 cases.

Uthmeier announced the move Monday morning during a news conference in Orlando, joined by Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox.

According to the attorney general’s office, Worrell recently implemented what it called a "soft-on-crime" policy. Officials said the policy restricts law enforcement from referring certain non-arrest cases to her office — including some involving gun crimes and violent felonies.

‘The people of Orlando deserve better’

What they're saying:

"There is no excuse for non-prosecution politics that allow dangerous criminals to go free. The people of Orlando deserve better," Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a statement. 

RELATED | Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell, law enforcement at odds over arrest warrant policy

"Other Statewide Prosecutors will help pick up the caseload of their colleagues and work longer days that may turn into long nights. But this is what public service is all about: doing what is right and bringing justice where it is due."

Who are the prosecutors that will help?

These prosecutors from the Office of Statewide Prosecution will be supporting the Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

  • Joni Gerrity
  • Lauryn Day
  • Jean Almonacy
  • Rebecca Addison
  • Rebecca Smith-Hameroff
  • Taylor Chatting

The backstory:

Earlier this month, Florida State Attorney Monique Worrell that her office would no longer accept law enforcement cases for prosecution that do not include an arrest or cases that have not already entered the court system, essentially challenging officers, deputies, and detectives to build better cases before submitting them to her office.

RELATED | State Attorney Worrell’s policy sparks clash over case submissions, concerns over possible delays of justice

Worrell said her office is dealing with a backlog of thousands of "non-arrest" cases because those cases are less prioritized than ones where an arrest has been made.

The new policy received pushback from the Orange County Sheriff's Office and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier.

"We are not supportive of the policy in its current form as it could deny prosecution in some domestic violence and firearms cases and deny justice to some victims of those crimes," the Orange County Sheriff's Office previously said in a statement. "To ensure the safety of our residents and visitors, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office intends to continue sending misdemeanor, non-arrest cases to the State Attorney’s Office when appropriate. We would welcome the opportunity for true collaboration in this matter."

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The Source: This story was written based on previous reporting and the Office of the Attorney General for the State of Florida on April 14, 2025. 

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