ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — As Monique Worrell plans to reclaim the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s office Tuesday, questions loom about a grand jury investigation in Polk County.
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Friday, we reported a grand jury has been called and people have been subpoenaed to appear related to an investigation into Monique Worrell’s first administration.
The details of this grand jury, including the potential charges, are sealed.
Tuesday morning, Monique Worrell says she plans to walk in solidarity alongside supporters in front of the Orange County Courthouse, reclaim her office and take her oath. Her assistant state attorneys will also be sworn in.
This was just 16 months after the prosecutors were sworn in under appointed State Attorney Andrew Bain.
“What do you think’s going on in that office right now?,” Channel 9′s Ashlyn Webb asked.
“Chaos,” said former prosecutor Ryan Vescio. “It is a situation where it’s obviously a political office, but there are 170 attorneys that just show up to work every day and want to protect the community and want to do what they believe is right. They want support. They want guidance.”
There’s fear, particularly from Democrats like Anna Eskamani, about if Worrell could be blocked or removed from office.
“There’s two scenarios here that I’m speculating on. One is that some sort of indictment based on politically motivated charges is announced to prevent her from even being sworn in. Two, she gets sworn in and then days later, some sort of indictment comes out again,” said Rep. Anna Eskamani.
We don’t know who in Worrell’s previous administration is currently part of this grand jury investigation—and what charges prosecutors are looking to press.
“Could she possibly be removed?,” Channel 9′s Ashlyn Webb asked.
“It’s a real possibility that although she has now been elected for the second time by a wide majority, that if charges are brought against her, the governor could have the authority to suspend her for office for a second time. To do it once is unprecedented. To do it twice would be really unheard of,” Vescio said.
Vescio says prosecutors are already caught in a swinging pendulum from the vastly different Worrell and Bain administration—and it’s policies. Vescio is a criminal defense expert and partner at NeJame Law.
“When the justice system is inconsistent, it just grinds to a halt because people don’t know how to resolve their cases. Judges are put into the middle with wild inconsistencies in what prosecutors are presenting. I expect what you’re going to see is until the system as a whole knows who the state attorney is going to actually be,” Vescio said.
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