Who is Monique Worrell? Florida state attorney suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis
DeSantis suspends State Attorney Monique
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell for "dereliction of duty" on crime via an executive order on Wednesday. The governor is tapping Florida judge Andrew Bain to replace Worrell as the state attorney for the 9th judicial circuit.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - State Attorney Monique Worrell was suspended Wednesday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for "dereliction of duty" on crime.
The governor's office said Worrell has "neglected her duty to faithfully prosecute crime in jurisdiction," DeSantis said in a press release.
"It is my duty as Governor to ensure that the laws enacted by our duly elected Legislature are followed," DeSantis said. "The people of Central Florida deserve to have a State Attorney who will seek justice in accordance with the law instead of allowing violent criminals to roam the streets and find new victims."
Worrell was replaced by former judge Andrew Bain for the duration of indefinite Worrell's suspension.
Here's what we know about State Attorney Monique Worrell:
Who is Monique Worrell?
Monique Worrell is the state attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit in Florida.
Photo: Ninth Judicial Circuit
When was Monique Worrell elected?
Worrell was elected in November 2020. She defeated Jose Torroella with 66.6% of the vote.
Monique Worrell political party
Worrell is a member of the Democratic Party.
What to know about Monique Worrell
Worrell is the second African American elected as state attorney, and the first of Caribbean descent, according to Worrell's bio.
State Attorney Monique H. Worrell holds a press conference, on March 9, 2023. Worrell discussed charges against Keith Moses. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
What did Monique Worrell do before being elected as state attorney?
Worrell, who moved to Central Florida in 1996, earned her law degree from the University of Florida in 1999.
She began her career as a public defender in Orange County before moving into a private practice.
She then became a clinical law professor at the University of Florida College of Law.
Worrell also served as the Chief Legal Officer at a non-profit organization focused on criminal justice reform.
She left the University of Florida to become the founding director of the Conviction Integrity Unit in the State Attorney's Office in Orange County.
Why was Monique Worrell suspended?
In a press conference Wednesday, DeSantis and other Florida officials said Worrell routinely avoided mandatory minimum sentencing for gun crimes and drug trafficking offenses.
They also said she allowed juvenile defenders to avoid serious charges and jail time.
Florida leaders also accused Worrell of limiting charges against child pornography offenders and avoiding sentencing enhancements.
Who is the new state attorney?
Photo: Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
Andrew Bain was most recently an Orange County judge in the 9th Judicial Circuit.
Before that, he was an assistant state attorney in the 9th Circuit under State Attorney Jeffrey L. Ashton.
Bain is an alumnus of the University of Miami and received his law degree from Florida A&M University.