DeSantis suspends prosecutor for neglecting crime duties.

Florida governor and presidential⁤ candidate Ron⁢ DeSantis ​(R.) has ⁢taken action by suspending ⁤the Democratic Orlando state attorney, Monique Worrell, for her role in allowing criminals to “escape the full ⁣consequences of‌ their criminal ⁤conduct.”

Worrell, who served as state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Florida, was⁤ removed from office on Wednesday due to what DeSantis called “dereliction of duty.”

“The state of Florida is a ⁤law and order ⁢state, and that means‍ we support the men and women who wear the uniform and protect and serve,” emphasized‍ DeSantis during the announcement of the suspension at the State Capitol. “We have strong policies to hold criminals accountable for their misconduct, and prosecutors have ​a duty to faithfully enforce the‌ law.”

The governor specifically pointed out Worrell’s alleged practice of disregarding minimum sentencing requirements for crimes involving guns and drugs.

“Prosecutors‍ do ‌have a certain amount of⁢ discretion about which cases to bring and‌ which not,” DeSantis explained. “But what this state attorney has done is‌ abuse that discretion and has effectively nullified certain laws⁣ in the state of Florida.”

This is not​ the first time ​DeSantis has taken such action. In⁣ August 2022, he suspended⁣ former state‌ attorney Andrew Warren ‍for “neglect of duty.”

“State Attorneys have ‌a duty to prosecute crimes as defined in Florida law, not to pick and choose which laws to enforce ​based on their personal agenda,” DeSantis‌ stated⁣ at the time.

This move‍ reflects a growing trend of backlash against prosecutors and attorneys in ⁤the United States, with the right accusing them of‌ being too lenient. For instance, Kim Gardner, the former top prosecutor in​ St. Louis, resigned⁤ from her position after a legal battle with Missouri’s attorney​ general. Similarly, Chesa⁤ Boudin, the disgraced former district attorney of San Francisco,‌ was recalled by voters.