Florida’s Governor, Ron DeSantis, has caused quite a stir with his recent decision to suspend State Attorney Monique Worrell of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.
The suspension was met with strong reaction from the state attorney, who held an impromptu press conference in which she labeled DeSantis a “weak dictator”.
Despite the criticism, DeSantis maintains that he is merely trying to ensure that prosecutors are faithfully enforcing the law and not pushing their own political agendas.
This move comes amidst a difficult time for DeSantis’ presidential campaign, and has led many to question whether this is an attempt to further his own political agenda.
Worrell is a Democratic prosecutor.
This isn’t the first time that DeSantis has taken action against an elected prosecutor either – in 2022 he suspended Tampa-area prosecutor Andrew Warren for refusing to enforce Florida’s 15-week abortion ban.
Additionally, both Worrell and Warren had received funds from committees backed by megadonor George Soros, which is something DeSantis frequently references as an outside influence on local affairs.
The suspension was announced during a sudden press conference, leaving little time for anyone else to prepare or respond.
Yet almost immediately after hearing of her fate at the hands of Governor DeSantis, Monique Worrell held her own press conference in Orlando during which she spoke out against what she saw as a gross injustice done against her by someone who considers himself above reproach.
She reminded those present that although she may do things unconventionally at times, she has always been honest about it and never shied away from doing what needs to be done.
DeSantis appointed Andrew Bain as Worrel’s replacement.
Bain graduated with a degree in law from the University of Miami back in 2013 but prior to that he had seen some success playing football all through high school right up until his brief stint with the New York Giants.
He currently sits on Orange County Bench of Ninth Circuit Court of Florida since June 2020 when he was originally appointed there by none other than Governor Ron DeSantis himself.
