‘It’s shameful’: Monique Worrell responds to criticisms from DeSantis, Rick Scott

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell pushed back on recent criticisms of her office by Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott on Tuesday, accusing them of politicizing the shootings that killed a Spectrum News 13 journalist, a 38-year-old woman and a 9-year-old girl in Pine Hills last week.

“It’s easy to stand outside of our community and criticize the decisions that are made inside our community instead of helping us to make our community better,” said Worrell in an interview Tuesday. “I think that it’s shameful that this tragedy is being politicized.”

DeSantis denounced Worrell in a press conference Monday for not doing more to hold 19-year-old Keith Moses accountable in his previous cases. Before his arrest in connection to the shootings, Moses had an extensive juvenile criminal record including arrests on charges of domestic battery, burglary, grand theft and drug possession.

“You have to hold people accountable,” DeSantis said. “I know the state attorney in Orlando thinks that you don’t prosecute people and that’s the way that somehow you have better communities — that does not work.”

Worrell said DeSantis’ and Scott’s statements against her prosecutors regarding Moses’ previous cases are “dishonest,” as he was arrested only once since Worrell took office in January 2021.

Her office could not pursue charges in that case, possession of 4.5 grams of marijuana in November of 2021, because the Florida Department of Law Enforcement does not test amounts of marijuana below 20 grams — the minimum felony amount, she said.

“Even if I was able to proceed that case, there is no sentence in the entire state of Florida that would have required Mr. Moses to be incarcerated in prison,” she said.

“I commend the men and women in my office who come to work every day in a labor of love, really, they don’t do it for fame or fortune ... they do it because they care about this community,” she said. “And to have them in a position where they’re being criticized by elected officials for the very difficult jobs that they do every day is shameful.”

On Friday, Scott came out against Worrell’s office and called for the firing of the prosecutors in the former cases against Moses.

“Every prosecutor that chose to give this young criminal a pass should be fired TODAY,” Scott said in a statement, “and State Attorney Worrell must immediately account for how her office failed to protect the community from a violent criminal and outline what she’s changing to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

He went on to say that he would “urge state officials to look at every option available to force accountability on this office.”

This all follows DeSantis’ suspension in August of former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, who signed a joint statement that said he would not prosecute anyone who violated laws regulating abortion access and gender transition treatments. Warren also had policies about not charging people with some nonviolent, minor crimes like disorderly conduct.

Worrell’s name was among those listed on the transgender healthcare statement cited by DeSantis in the executive order of suspension against Warren. They are both Democrats.

During Warren’s trial in November, Worrell’s name was brought up by Larry Keefe, the governor’s public safety czar who conducted the review of state attorneys that led to Warren’s suspension. Keefe said that among the multiple law enforcement officials he spoke with was Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who had complaints about Worrell that mirrored those against Warren, according to Florida Politics.

Though Mina has not explicitly spoken out against Worrell or the State Attorney’s Office since the deadly shooting, he has repeatedly mentioned Moses’ long arrest record in press conferences.

“I just think that when people continue to be arrested over and over again, they just need to be held accountable,” he said Tuesday at a press conference announcing more charges against Moses.

Worrell said she does not “operate from a place of fear” and that she will do “everything in my power to do this job to the best of my ability while I’m sitting in this seat.”

Though, she said, the barrage of political attacks has affected her staff.

“They’re afraid and it’s damaging morale,” she said. “We are operating short 38 positions in my office currently, so to put that unnecessary burden on prosecutors to fear that every decision they make is going to be scrutinized and could lead to them being fired ... is going to further increase the problem that we have in recruiting and retaining employees.”

“Instead of criticizing them,” she added, “the governor needs to help them.”

Worrell said the Florida Legislature and the governor have not been receptive to her recommendations to improve retention and lower turnover rates, which are around 25% across the state, she said.

When Worrell took office, starting salaries for prosecutors were $50,000. She proposed to the Legislature last year that it be raised to $75,000 to compete with the private sector.

“In response, they raised salaries by $5,000 because I wasn’t even able to compete locally,” she said. “Even at $60,000, I am unable to retain and recruit top prosecutors.”

Last year, she also proposed an in-house daycare in the State Attorney’s Office. It was met with a $270,000 response from the Florida Legislature that was ultimately vetoed by the governor, she said.

“Pine Hills is personal to me — my family serves, works and worships in the Pine Hills community — so I don’t get the luxury of standing outside of Pine Hills and talking about all the things that are wrong,” Worrell said. “I work every day to do everything I can to to make our community safer. We need help, not criticism.”

ccann@orlandosentinel.com