Orange County sheriff pushes back against state attorney's policy on warrants
The Brief
State Attorney Monique Worrell now requires law enforcement to make an arrest or issue a court notice before submitting cases for prosecution.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office opposes the policy, citing concerns over domestic violence and firearms cases.
The policy took effect this week, but its full impact remains uncertain.
ORLANDO, Fla. - State Attorney Monique Worrell will now require law enforcement to make an arrest or issue a court notice before submitting cases for prosecution.
What we know
State Attorney Monique Worrell has implemented a new policy requiring law enforcement to either make an arrest or issue a notice to appear in court before submitting a case to her office for prosecution. The policy, which took effect this week, aims to address a backlog of 13,500 non-arrest cases that have been delayed because arrest cases take priority.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office opposes the policy, citing concerns over domestic violence and firearms cases.
Florida's Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier also weighed-in late Thursday in a post on X, targeting Worrell, a Democrat.
Uthmeier wrote that "[George] Soros-backed prosecutors do not have the right to put Floridians at risk" and that he would use his "supervisory authority" over the State Attorney's Office to review the policy and its impact on public safety.
In November, Worrell unseated Republican Andrew Bain, who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the position after he suspended Worrell in 2023. Worrell defeated Bain by nearly 58% of the vote. Uthmeier served as chief of staff to DeSantis from 2021 to February of this year, when the governor appointed him to the attorney general post vacated by Ashley Moody.
What we don't know
It remains unclear how this policy will impact case processing times or whether it will lead to fewer cases being prosecuted. The response from other law enforcement agencies in Orange and Osceola counties is still pending. Additionally, it is uncertain whether any adjustments or compromises will be made to address concerns raised by law enforcement.
What they're saying
The policy shift is driven by Worrell's office struggling to manage a high volume of cases, particularly those that do not involve an immediate arrest. By requiring law enforcement to take action before submitting cases, Worrell intends to streamline her office's workload.
"In the stack of 13,000 non-arrest cases, there might be a dangerous person, and if that person is not being monitored — if their case is not going through the system — then they could commit another violent act and that is a danger to our community," Worrell said. "So this is a proactive policy and an attempt to make sure that doesn't happen, so that we make sure that we are utilizing the full resources of law enforcement and the State Attorney's Office to do everything we can to keep our community safe."
However, this move has sparked pushback, especially from the Orange County Sheriff's Office, which has formally requested a pause on the policy—a request that was denied.
"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 sheriff's office said in a statement sent to FOX 35 News. "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."
Florida's Republican Attorney General James Uthmeier also weighed-in late Thursday in a post on X.
"Prosecutors play a vital role in keeping the community safe and pursuing justice, and Soros-backed prosecutors do not have the right to put Floridians at risk," Uthmeier wrote. "The blanket policies announced by Monique Worrell are contrary to the essential duties of a prosecutor. As Attorney General, state law gives me general supervisory authority of State Attorney Worrell's office, and I will direct my office to review her policies and their impact on public safety. We will use every tool available to step in and protect the people of Central Florida."
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The Source
This story was written based on information shared by the Office of the State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida, and the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
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