MONIQUE WORRELL

Current and former Democratic lawmakers and former Florida Supreme Court justices have signed onto legal briefs backing suspended Orlando-area State Attorney Monique Worrell’s bid to get her job back.

A month into the job, the governor-appointed Ninth Circuit state attorney announced a policy change regarding use of force cases.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Andrew Bain, who Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis installed in the ouster of Monique Worrell, holds a news conference to announce updates and policy changes.

Twenty-eight days ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he was removing State Attorney Monique Worrell and appointing Andrew Bain to take her place.

Monique Worrell, the Orange-Osceola state attorney who was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis last month, is asking the Florida Supreme Court to declare DeSantis’ order invalid, calling the suspension an “arbitrary, unsubstantiated exercise of the suspension power.”

One day after Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell, new leadership fired an employee who was out on maternity leave.

On Thursday, Monique Worrell spoke at a rally in her honor outside the Orlando City Hall.

Andrew Bain, the new Orange-Osceola state attorney appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in the wake of Monique Worrell’s suspension, met with the area’s three major law enforcement leaders Thursday as he worked to establish his administration of the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

State Attorney Monique Worrell is far from the first elected official that Governor Ron Desantis, and previous governors, have removed from office.

Orange County's top prosecutor is vowing to keep fighting and continue her bid for re-election.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the suspension of Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell on Wednesday, citing a myriad of crimes that he said happened under her leadership.

The shooting of two Orlando police officers was the most recent “major controversy” involving Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell that led to her suspension, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Wednesday the suspension and replacement of Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell. Here's who Andrew Bain is.

Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Ninth Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell Wednesday, the culmination of months of back-and-forth between DeSantis and Worrell over her approach to the office of chief prosecutor.

Monique Worrell held a news conference Wednesday morning outside of the Orange County Courthouse to address Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement of her suspension as Orange-Osceola State Attorney hours prior, saying it would not dissuade her from seeking re-election.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday morning announced the suspension of Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell, effective immediately.

A new report from the state is raising questions about the prosecution of juveniles accused of serious crimes in Orange and Osceola counties.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell is set to hold a news briefing Thursday on the arrest of a man accused of attempted rape at an Orange County hotel.

The man accused of killing three people and injuring two others in a shooting spree in Pine Hills earlier this year is set to appear in court for a pre-trial hearing.

The 19-year-old man accused of killing three people and injuring two in a string of shootings last February in the Pine Hills area will face the death penalty when he goes to trial.

Law enforcement and public officials came together Monday for an all-day summit aimed at addressing gun violence across Central Florida.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell announced that she will be hosting a full-day gun violence prevention summit on Monday.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell issued a statement accusing Gov. Ron DeSantis of pursuing a “witch hunt” after receiving a request from a state committeewoman for information on two human trafficking cases.

The Orange County Citizens Safety Task Force is set to reconvene Friday to discuss the best ways to approach keeping the community safe.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell is seeking to examine decades-old fingerprint evidence in the case of Tommy Zeigler, a Winter Garden man who’s been on Florida’s Death Row since a judge sentenced him for the 1975 quadruple murder of his wife, in-laws, and a customer inside his family’s furniture store.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell spoke about drug trafficking Monday after Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez called out the state for its lack of prosecution of these cases last week.

A discussion about violence among teenagers took place Monday amid a recent spate of gun violence, a string of deadly shootings in Pine Hills and an onoing public feud between two of Orange County’s top criminal justice officials.

Following a shooting rampage that left three people dead in Pine Hills in February, Gov. Ron DeSantis, Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez have spoken out against Worrell.

Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez on Thursday provided an update on the number of drug overdoses and deaths within the community in 2022.

Witness gave disjointed testimony, couldn’t ID subject in photo lineup, state attorney says

Final goodbyes begin Friday for 9-year-old T’Yonna Major, the youngest victim of a deadly shooting spree last month in Pine Hills that took three lives and inflamed a war of words between the region’s state attorney and Florida’s governor.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell announced Thursday that she answered Gov. Ron DeSantis’ investigation into her office with the documents he requested, but not without once again defending her office against claims by DeSantis and other officials that she called “political fearmongering.”

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell announced the charges being filed against the 19-year-old man accused of killing three people — a 38-year-old woman, a 9-year-old girl and a Spectrum News 13 reporter — and wounding two others in Pine Hills.

In an escalation of rhetoric between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell, the governor’s office on Tuesday demanded the criminal records of Keith Moses, the suspect in last week’s string of shootings in the Pine Hills area that resulted in three deaths.

Body camera video shows deputies in Orange County arresting Keith Melvin Moses after he’s accused of shooting five people, killing a TV reporter and a 9-year-old girl. The encounter with the sheriff’s office on Feb. 22 was far from his first run-in with law enforcement.

Last week, Monique Worrell, state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, laid the blame on a juvenile justice system not designed to handle a juvenile like Moses, and called on state legislators to make changes.

A judge is demanding a list of all the evidence that needs to be tested for DNA in the case of an Orange County man accused of several murders nearly 50 years ago.

The office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Monday voluntarily dismissed an appeal meant to block DNA testing for William “Tommy” Zeigler, a 77-year-old man convicted of killing four people in 1975.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell announced Thursday her office was exploring “initiatives across the country” to help combat local and national attacks against law enforcement and gun violence.

A 69-year-old woman shot and killed an intruder Sunday afternoon during a home invasion in Orange County, according to the sheriff’s office.

Black Lives Matter Restoration Polk Inc. held a news briefing Tuesday afternoon on the deadly deputy shooting that occurred outside an Osceola Target last month.

“Operation Icarus" identified a group responsible for trafficking cocaine and thousands of fentanyl pills throughout Central Florida.

Monique Worrell, state attorney for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit of Orange and Osceola counties, launched the circuit’s first-ever Adult Civil Citation Program on Friday.

The Orange-Osceola state attorney says the Great Resignation has hit her office. Monique Worrell says she is facing double-digit job vacancies from attorneys down to support staff.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell is set to hold a news conference at her office in Orlando at 2:30 p.m. Friday.

The new unit Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell ushered in last year to address mental health in the criminal justice system is still going strong.

Mental illness in the criminal justice system is a long-standing problem, according to Orange-Osceola state attorney Monique Worrell.

The State Attorney's Office in Orange and Osceola Counties is announcing the formation of a narcotics unit to fight the opioid epidemic.

The Orange-Osceola State Attorney's Office has filed criminal charges against a former Orlando Police Officer "Officer of the Year," sources tell News 6.

The Orange Osceola State Attorney’s office announced Wednesday the creation of a new unit to investigate and prosecute traffic homicide cases.

Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell plans to address the news media.

For the second time in recent weeks, a Florida prosecutor is granting DNA testing for a death row inmate who has maintained his innocence for more than four decades.

More than 45 years waiting for execution William “Tommy” Zeigler will be granted the DNA evidence his attorneys have sought for years that they say could clear his name.

The probe into an Osceola County school resource deputy who was caught on video slamming a Liberty High School student onto concrete was turned over to the State Attorney’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement said.

Nearly four years after a deadly crash took the lives of two young women, their families are still demanding justice.

State Attorney Monique Worrell has now created an Officer Involved Critical Incident Policy.

The deputy-involved shooting spurred weeks of protests as community members demanded to see body camera video and for the officer to be fired.

Prosecutors with the State Attorney’s Office in the Ninth Judicial Circuit, covering Orange and Osceola counties, will independently investigate police officer or deputy-involved shootings in addition to the review conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Deputies charged the caretaker with aggravated manslaughter, but News 6 isn’t naming the caretaker, because shortly after her arrest, charges were dropped. What [other] evidence do you need?”In court filings, prosecutors under then-State Attorney Aramis Ayala argued the caretaker was distracted. Ad“Listening to music and talking on the phone”, but they believed leaving Jace in the car was not intentional. “We have to be consistent when it comes to situations like this or you are going to have kids constantly left inside a vehicle,” Wallace said. AdNews 6 reviewed the statute for leaving a child unattended in a car.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell is changing her office’s policy on seeking incarceration for defendants in response to the COVID-19 outbreak at the Orange County jail. The policy comes after an outbreak of virus cases at the Orange County Jail where 83 inmates contracted the virus, according to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. The statement echos Dr. Raul Pino from the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, who referred to jails as a “petri dish” during a news conference last week. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said the jail has about 2,600 inmates housed there. Ad“What we don’t want is people sitting in custody pre trial, because they cant afford to get out of jail,” Worrell said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The new state attorney for Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit is getting to work by filing charges in several high-profile cases. New court filings show charges filed in two, unrelated cases involving an Orlando rapper and a former UCF football player. Unrelated to that case, Worrell has also filed a felony charge of carrying a concealed firearm without a permit against 22-year-old Antwan Collier. Collier was a defensive back for the UCF football team at the time of his arrest. In the days following the incident, UCF athletics announced Collier and three other athletes involved in the incident had been let go from the team.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Monique Worrell was sworn in as the new state attorney for Orange County and Osceola County. Monday night, the outgoing state attorney, Aramis Ayala, decided to drop the death penalty against four defendants in three high profile cases. It was one of the last moves Ayala made while still in office--filing notices that her office would not seek the death penalty against four defendants in three high profile cases, after initially seeking death. “I don’t want my term to be defined by what we do or don’t do with regard to the death penalty,” Worrell said. “That is a very small percentage of what a state attorney does,” she said.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office won’t seek the death penalty against the man accused of murdering a married couple in Kissimmee more than two years ago, according to court records. Ayala was initially seeking the death penalty in all three cases. Ayala previously announced she would not seek the death penalty in any case. When she first announced plans to not seek the death penalty in 2019, then-Gov. This was Aramis’ first week, beginning her term with a discussion about death penalty.

Monique Worrell, who is Florida’s second Black state attorney, is preparing to take office in Orange and Osceola counties after winning the general election. [TRENDING: How to get vaccine in Florida | Will vaccine work on new strains? “I am the state attorney elect,” Worrell said. She’s actually already working in the 9th circuit State Attorney’s Office assisting in the Conviction Integrity Unit which she helped start. “I will have the benefit of a lot of advice for her on things that work well and things that don’t work well,” Worrell said.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Incoming Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell has notified five employees that they will not be retained when she takes office in January. Three assistant state attorneys and two investigators were notified by letter this week that they will be let go. I am excited to inherit a staff that is so committed to these goals,” Worrell wrote. We appreciate their service to this office, and wish them well in their future endeavors.”The local state attorney’s office has about 400 employees. Interviews will take place to replace the five employees who will be dismissed effective Jan. 5.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Democrat Monique Worrell has been declared the winner of the Orange-Osceola state attorney race. As of 11 p.m. Tuesday, she had 66% of the vote with 342 out of 348 precincts reporting. [LIVE RACE RESULTS: Scroll to bottom of story to see all race returns]RACE DETAILS BELOWAfter a heavily contested primary, voters had the choice of two candidates to replace Aramis Ayala as the state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. He’s been endorsed by former Orange County sheriffs Kevin Beary and Lawson Lamar. Monique Worrell (D)Monique Worrell has earned endorsements from Ayala, Sen. Bernie Sanders and singer John Legend.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – After a heavily contested primary, voters now have the choice of two candidates to replace Aramis Ayala as the state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties. Before the November election, get to know more about the two candidates vying for the position of top prosecutor. Here’s what you need to know:Jose Torroella (NPA)Jose Torreolla says he wants to bring truth and fairness to the office if he’s elected. He’s been endorsed by former Orange County sheriffs Kevin Beary and Lawson Lamar. Click here or visit ClickOrlando.com/results2020 to learn more about what you can expect to see on your ballot.

Find All Race Results HereORLANDO, Fla. – On Nov. 3, voters in Flagler and Volusia and Orange and Osceola counties will decide their next state attorneys. In Orange County, with Aramis Ayala not running for re-election, either Jose Torreolla or Monique Worrell will become the next Orange-Osceola state attorney. In the 7th Judicial Circuit race, Republican incumbent R.J. Larizza is running against independent candidate Don Dempsey to keep his role as Flagler-Volusia State Attorney. Check all the races in Central Florida and statewide in the dropdown menu below, and get more information on the ClickOrlando.com Results 2020 page.

Find All Race Results HereORLANDO, Fla. – Some of the key races in Orange County include sheriff and state attorney. Orange County Sheriff John Mina looks to hold off Tim Lucas Adams and Winston Johnson. Meanwhile, with Aramis Ayala not running for re-election, either Jose Torreolla and Monique Worrell will become the next Orange-Osceola state attorney. Check out all the Orange County races, including how residents voted for president, in the list below. Check all the races in Central Florida and statewide in the dropdown menu below, and get more information on the ClickOrlando.com Results 2020 page.

Monique Worrell beat out three democratic candidates to win the Aug. 18 primary election for state attorney in what was considered a crowded field with 42% of the vote. Asked if that handed her the primary election win, she said the momentum began well before those commercials aired. “I was sworn in as an Assistant State Attorney. I carried a badge in the same way that all other Assistant State Attorney’s did.”AdWorrell also had the endorsement of the current 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Aramis Ayala. After the primary election Ayala eliminated the position of Chief Assistant State Attorney which Barra held.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. No matter the results of the election, residents in Orange and Osceola counties are guaranteed to have a new state attorney serving them starting next year. Four Democrats have qualified to run for the race and fill the role that will be vacated by current Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala. Barra also sits on Ayalas death penalty review panel, a group of prosecutors who decide whether the death penalty is appropriate in a first-degree murder case. (WKMG)Ryan Williams, a longtime assistant state attorney in Floridas Ninth and Fifth Judicial Circuits, resigned from Ayalas office after she announced in March 2017 that her prosecutors wouldnt seek the death penalty in any case. Williams was one of the earliest candidates in the race, announcing his intent to run in March 2019.

The race for Orange-Osceola state attorney is heating up as the four Democratic candidates get set to square off in the upcoming primary election. The current Orlando-area state attorney Aramis Ayala is not seeking re-election after her surprising victory over Jeff Ashton in 2016. Monique Worrell, a criminal justice attorney; current state attorney in Orange-Osceola Deborah Barra; Ryan Williams, a longtime assistant state attorney in Floridas 9th and 5th Judicial Circuits and former chief judge Belvin Perry have all announced they are running for the position. RELATED: Orange-Osceola chief assistant state attorney running for Aramis Ayalas job"Before I even retired people had approached me in the past about running for state attorney and at the time I chose not to," Perry said. MORE: Who is the Orange-Osceola County State Attorney candidate Ryan Williams?

ORLANDO, Fla. – Grammy-Award winning singer and songwriter John Legend is paying attention to Florida politics, specifically several upcoming elections for local state attorney seats. The current Orlando-area state attorney Aramis Ayala said last year she would not be seeking re-election. Worrell, former chief judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit Belvin Perry; current assistant state attorney in Orange-Osceola Deborah Barra and Ryan Williams, a longtime assistant state attorney in Florida’s 9th and 5th Judicial Circuits, have all announced they are running. Worrell, a criminal justice attorney, faces the three other candidates in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary. The goal of the political group is to “elect prosecutors who will fix our broken criminal justice system,” according to its website.

ORLANDO, Fla. More than 2,000 people joined a large demonstration Tuesday in Orlando calling for change after the death of a black man killed by a Minneapolis police officer. Protesters filled the streets of downtown near City Hall before the gathering headed toward Orange Blossom Trail. For more than an hour, protesters voiced their demands while Orlando police looked on surrounding City Hall with a bicycle barricade. 3:30 p.m. UPDATE: Crowd outside Orlando City Hall for protest. Orlando police closed down South Street at Orange Avenue and then State Road 408 as thousands of people carrying signs walked on.