On Friday, November 8, 2024, Orlando Sentinel reported that a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Governor Ron DeSantis concerning the suspension of Monique Worrell, the state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. This decision came just days after Worrell was re-elected to her position. The lawsuit, filed by two Worrell supporters and the advocacy group Florida Rising, claimed that DeSantis’ 2023 suspension of Worrell infringed upon the voters’ due process and First Amendment rights.
U.S. District Judge Julie Sneed delivered a 20-page ruling rejecting the suit, which was initially filed in November 2023 after DeSantis issued an executive order suspending Worrell. The governor’s order alleged that Worrell’s policies had deterred assistant state attorneys from pursuing mandatory minimum sentences for crimes involving firearms and drug trafficking.
Despite the legal challenge, Worrell won her position back with a significant margin in the recent election, securing approximately 57.5 percent of the votes against Bain, who ran as an independent candidate. The lawsuit argued that her suspension disenfranchised voters, asserting that the governor’s actions violated their rights to free expression and association.
Judge Sneed ruled that the plaintiffs, David Caicedo and Rajib Chowdhury, along with Florida Rising, lacked the legal standing to contest the suspension. She noted that their claims were derivative of Worrell’s situation and did not demonstrate a legally protected interest in her continued tenure. Sneed pointed out that the plaintiffs had not established a specific injury beyond being among the voters who supported Worrell.
Although Florida Rising argued that it had to reallocate resources in response to Worrell’s suspension, Sneed ultimately ruled against them on the constitutional issues raised in the case. The plaintiffs contended that Worrell’s removal constituted a violation of their fundamental right to an effective vote, suggesting that their ballots were rendered ineffective. However, Sneed countered this argument by affirming that Worrell had assumed office after her election, thus validating the votes cast in her favor.
The ruling did not address the recent election results, where Worrell decisively reclaimed her position. Worrell and her supporters have consistently contested DeSantis’s justification for her suspension, claiming it was rooted in her commitment to reforming the criminal justice system and exercising her prosecutorial discretion.
Source: Orlando Sentinel
