Overview
- On Tuesday Worrell said she received a late-night phone call claiming Gov. Ron DeSantis would soon remove her and held a news conference to reject the rumor and defend her work.
- The governor’s office has made no public announcement about a new suspension and Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters he was unaware of any planned removal.
- Worrell cited law-enforcement statistics showing drops in shootings and overall crime in Orlando and Orange County as evidence she is fulfilling her duties and pushed back against Uthmeier’s public criticisms.
- She tied the rumor to last week’s leaked grand jury report obtained by CBS Miami that mentioned Uthmeier, noting the report did not produce charges but has increased political pressure on her office.
- The episode revives a broader clash that began when DeSantis suspended Worrell on Aug. 9, 2023 for alleged neglect of duty, a move the Florida Supreme Court upheld in June 2024 before she won the office back in the 2024 election, and it could further disrupt prosecutions and staff morale in the 9th Judicial Circuit.