State Attorney Monique Worrell announces reelection bid amid criticism from law enforcement

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell announced her re-election bid this week.

Her announcement comes the same week that law enforcement agencies in both counties have publicly criticized her office.

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“I am proud to represent the people of Orange and Osceola Counties,” Worrell said in her campaign announcement. “Every day, I have the privilege of working alongside lawyers committed to pursuing justice, supporting victims, and working towards a more fair and equitable legal system. We have achieved a lot, but we still have more to do. It would be an honor of a lifetime to represent this community for a second term.”

Read: ‘Disheartening’: Orlando police chief responds to state attorney dropping charges in deadly shooting

Worrell was first elected in 2020 winning the general election with nearly 67% of the vote.

On Thursday, Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez became the latest law enforcement leader to criticize Worrell’s office. He said he office is failing to prosecute drug trafficking cases.

Read: State Attorney responds to backlash after dropping charges in deadly shooting

Worrell said the cases Lopez pointed out were not prosecuted due to lack of evidence collected by investigators.

On Wednesday, Worrell said her office is going to coordinate workshops with local law enforcement to work on building better cases. They’re inviting all agencies in Orange and Osceola counties to participate for two days next month.

Video: Osceola County sheriff criticizes state attorney’s office over drug trafficking cases Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez said Thursday that the Orange-Osceola state attorney isn’t following mandatory minimum laws for drug trafficking cases. (Shannon Butler, WFTV.com)

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