A Florida felon filed a motion Wednesday to block Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis from removing the state attorney handling his case, an official the governor says is soft and refuses to adequately prosecute crimes.
The felon, Melizaire Dorsica, petitioned Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit court to revoke DeSantis’ executive order removing State Attorney Monique Worrell. DeSantis accused Worrell of “dereliction of duty” and being “soft” last week and replaced her with Florida Judge Andrew Bain.
Dorsica’s filing argues that the executive order was unconstitutional, and he is requesting that Bain be removed and Worrell be reinstated to prosecute his case.
Dorsica was convicted of his first felony in 2022, pleading guilty to possession of dimethylpentylone, a drug similar to amphetamines. He is now facing another felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon as a convicted felon, making him precisely the sort of defendant granted “extremely reduced sentences” by Worrell, according to DeSantis.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis and State Attorney Monique H. Worrell (SOPA Images/Contributor/Getty Images | Orlando Sentinel/Contributor/Getty Images)
Dorsica’s gun charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of three years, a requirement Worrell’s replacement would in all likelihood respect. DeSantis pointed to Worrell’s refusal to adequately prosecute gun crimes as a primary reason for her removal last week, saying she “prevented or discouraged” prosecutors from pursuing those sentences.
Dorsica’s attorneys argue that the executive order removing Worrell and replacing her with Bain is unconstitutional because Worrell was simply exerting prosecutorial discretion.
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“All of the grievances cited in support of [DeSantis’ order] are attributable to DeSantis’ dissatisfaction with Worrell’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion, not a ‘blanket policy,'” the motion reads.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to guests at the Republican Party of Iowa’s Lincoln Dinner on July 28, 2023, in Des Moines. Thirteen Republican presidential candidates were scheduled to speak at the event. (Scott Olson/Getty Image)
The governor said during a press conference last week that he was confident the Florida constitution granted him the authority to remove Worrell. This is the second time DeSantis has taken drastic action against a Florida prosecutor. He also suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren in August 2022 for refusing to enforce the state’s abortion ban.
That suspension was upheld in court in a January decision from a federal judge.
Worrell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. (Tribune News Service/Getty Images)
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Worrell did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. She did fire back after DeSantis’ move to remove her last week, however, calling the suspension “a smokescreen for Ron DeSantis’ failing and disastrous presidential campaign,” in which the governor is trailing behind former President Donald Trump.
“He needed to get back in the media in some positive way, in a way that would be red meat for his base and he will have accomplished that today,” Worrell said. “He will be in the news nationally and internationally for the individual who has single-handedly destroyed democracy in the state of Florida.”
