By Kristin Trent
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Miriam Krinsky, executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution (FJP), called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ actions a “dangerous front to democracy” in a statement responding to the legal argument in Florida Supreme Court between the governor and State Attorney Monique Worrell, who was suspended by DeSantis.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, DeSantis issued an executive order Aug. 9 to suspend the state attorney on the grounds her policies discouraged “assistant state attorneys from seeking minimum mandatory sentences for gun crimes and drug trafficking offenses.”
Citing the lack of constitutional grounds to call for Worrell’s suspension, Krinsky says “…the actions of the Governor are ‘a threat to the safety of 
all of us.’”
As the result of the governor overturning the will of nearly 400,000 voters that elected Worrell, Krinsky considers DeSantis’s actions a “brazen power grab,” and hoping the Florida Supreme Court “makes clear that his actions are subject to judicial review.”
If the actions of the governor go unchecked, Krinsky believes “trust in our democracy will be ‘irreparably harmed‘” and cause people to be less likely to accept the role of the government and law enforcement in society, calling it “a threat to the safety of us all.”
An amicus brief signed by more than 120 bipartisan leaders, including four state supreme court justices, has been filed to overrule the governor’s decision and reinstate Worrell as the prosecutor representing Orange and Osceola Counties.
According to the brief, “In 2020, the citizens of Orange and Osceola Counties exercised their constitutional right to elect their State Attorney, and they overwhelmingly chose Monique Worrell. During her time in office, SA Worrell won the elections with nearly two thirds (65.7 percent) of the votes cast.”
The brief adds, “(Worrell) has acted in accordance with her obligation to make her community safer and stronger—just as she promised to do. SA Worrell has consistently promoted reforms to realize her commitment to fairness and justice in the criminal legal system and her voters’ vision of justice.”
The pleading added, “She has created special victims and mental health units, developed a new diversion program to help reduce recidivism, and implemented policies to hold police officers accountable for misconduct. She also convened an innovative violence prevention summit in her community, aimed at developing collaborative solutions to stop crime from happening before it occurred.”
Krinsky said in the statement, “The people of Florida deserve to be represented by their chosen leaders. We hope the Court will do the right thing, preserve and protect the foundation of our democracy, and ensure that no Florida governor can overrule the will of the people.”
