Monique Worrell, the State Attorney of the Orlando area who was dismissed, was reportedly denied reinstatement by the Florida Supreme Court justices on Thursday.
Two weeks have passed since a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Worrell, a Democrat who was elected to the 9th Judicial Circuit in 2020, and advocacy groups, which challenged her suspension by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in August 2023.
Days following the shooting of two Orlando police officers during a traffic stop, DeSantis issued an executive order that accused Worrell of dereliction of duty and incompetence.
The suspect who fired at the officers and critically injured them was out on bond at the time of the shooting, according to the police.
Worrell declared her intention to run for reelection in 2024 and maintained that her removal was political in nature, rather than a reflection of her performance.
Additionally, she posited that the timing of her suspension was intended to detract from his nascent presidential campaign.
A Florida Supreme Court opinion filed on Thursday provided a detailed account of the justice’s decision to deny Worrell’s contention that DeSantis exceeded his constitutional authority by suspending her.
The majority determined that DeSantis’ executive order satisfies the standards established in prior cases involving the suspension of public officials.
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