Florida AG James Uthmeier accuses State Attorney Monique Worrell of being ‘soft on crime'

ORLANDO, Fla. - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier hosted a press conference Friday morning in Orlando, where he called out State Attorney Monique Worrell for what he calls "soft on crime policies."

Uthmeier was joined by Congresswoman Laurel Lee, Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay and Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Chief Matthew Williams.

AG Uthmeier: SA Worrell is soft on crime

What we know:

Uthmeier said soft on crime policies do not work. In Orlando, the AG said it's apparent that soft on crime policies are still prevalent, and, therefore, placing families in danger. 

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Uthmeier specifically called out Worrell, a prosecutor and Democratic politician who has served as the state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida since January 2021. He said Worrell has decided not to press charges in some of the most "gruesome and horrific" child predator cases.

The AG referenced specific cases where he said Worrell declined to prosecute a 61-year-old man who masturbated in front of children in Apopka, and dismissed a case against a man who possessed and shared videos showing rape of infants and toddlers in Central Florida. 

What's next:

If Worrell's behavior continues, the AG said he will work with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' office to ensure that justice is served and work to get the cases reassigned. 

‘We have to protect our kids’

What they're saying:

The AG said he would not stand by and allow Worrell to "fail to do her job."

"When it comes to these dangerous child predators, there's only one thing to do — prosecute to the fullest, ensure the longest sentences and, when legally appropriate, seek the death penalty," he said. "At the end of the day, we have to protect our kids."

"It's not rocket science," Uthmeier said. "Enforcing the law is not a partisan agenda. It's not Democrat, and it's not Republican. It's black and white. Enforce the law, put dangerous people away off the streets, crime loads go down, and our kids are safe."

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Lee said Congress is working hand-in-hand with state colleagues to ensure their partnership is strong and to protect communities across America. 

"As a former prosecutor and judge, I know that our justice system works best when it is based on evidence and data, not emotion," Lee said. "Decisions to ignore criminal conduct erode public trust."

‘His ignorance is loud’

The other side:

Worrel said she feels like Uthmeier has done more to undermine her office rather than provide support.

"The attorney general's lack of experience of prosecuting cases and understanding of criminal law is dangerous," she said. "It is an outright reckless disregard for the truth to suggest that I have non-prosecution policies on the books. These claimed policies simply do not exist and are made to mislead the public and distract from the real work of keeping our community safe."

The SA said she has been an attorney for 25 years and practiced criminal law for the whole time.

"I recognize that while I may not know everything that there is to know, I absolutely understand the system, how it works, and I can quickly read notes and get up to speed on what happened on something," she said. "And if he can’t do that, then he really should be quiet, because his ignorance is loud."