Latest news with #MoniqueWorrell
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Worrell gathers at site of road rage killing for 1st quarterly update since return to office
Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell looked back Thursday on her first three months since returning to office during a news conference at the site of a road rage killing to draw attention to what she called a worrying trend. Reporters gathered at the shopping plaza on East Colonial Drive as Worrell spoke amid public disputes in recent weeks between her and officials in Tallahassee. In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis along with local law enforcement leaders spearheaded the effort to remove her from office, only for her to handily win reelection against appointed State Attorney Andrew Bain. 'As I finish the first quarter, I'm proud to report a strong and successful start to my term back in office,' Worrell said. 'Thanks to the dedication of the men and women who work for the Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office. 'We made significant progress in advancing our mission to serve justice and protect our community.' The event was just yards away from the site where 30-year-old David Sligh was fatally shot Jan. 22, 2024 by a driver angry at being cut off in traffic. Worrell said his case is part of a trend of road rage shootings in recent years. According to prosecutors, Nicholas Carrasquillo, 27, stepped out his car and fired several times at Sligh. He later told cops he could have avoided the confrontation by driving around him. Carrasquillo awaits sentencing after being convicted March 20 of second-degree murder for the 51-second confrontation. 'This is a great concern to me personally as a mother,' Worrell said. 'I use Colonial Drive every day to take my children to and from school and their different activities. And as a mother … I want my children and I to be safe when we travel on the roadways.' The case, she added, is one of 43 felony trials for which a guilty verdict was secured — part of a reported 70% conviction rate since her reelection. While she also highlighted other cases involving child abuse and human trafficking, she spoke at length about what she called a worrying trend of road rage shootings. Violent crime has trended downward in the years following a surge that peaked during the COVID-19 pandemic, but those shootings remain prevalent. An analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety showed road rage shootings have increased nearly every year between 2018 and 2023, with a slight drop-off in the latter year. Florida per capita ranks 27th among 40 states for which data was available, but the nonprofit found the phenomenon tends to be higher in states with weaker gun laws. Worrell said her office looks to combat the trend with prosecutions along with advocating for tighter firearms restrictions. 'People pull the trigger, but guns are an instrument of death,' said Linda Coffin, co-chair of the League of Women Voters of Orange County's gun violence prevention committee, who stood alongside Worrell. Worrell also updated reporters on the state of a backlog of 13,000 nonarrest cases that prompted her to implement a policy limiting their review. The move sparked a backlash led by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier that led her allies to fear a new suspension, concerns she has brushed off. 'I'm here for public safety, I'm not here to focus on politics,' she said. 'Anything you that you hear in that vein is focused on politics over public safety. 'The only pressure that I feel is the pressure to ensure that I do everything within my power to ensure the safety of the people in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.' Since the public spat between her and Uthmeier she has welcomed six prosecutors from the Office of Statewide Prosecution, many of whom she said previously worked for her office. The challenge of managing the backlog remains, Worrell said, as the state's help is only a temporary fix while she lobbies for more funding to pay for additional full-time prosecutors. In that event, she previously pledged, she would be open to rescinding the policy.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida attorney general sending prosecutors to help with Monique Worrell's backlog of 13,500 cases
The Brief 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. 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." 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." This is a developing story. Check back for updates. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV 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.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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." STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO: Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV 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.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Attorney Monique Worrell to give ‘public safety update'
Newly reelected State Attorney Monique Worrell is planning to hold a news conference on Thursday. Worrell's press office said the event is to give a 'public safety update' on efforts to prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders. Worrell is planning to speak around 3 p.m. from her office in downtown Orlando. Channel 9 will have a crew in attendance and provide updates on Eyewitness News. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
