ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell reclaimed her seat and took her oath of office again Tuesday morning.
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It was on the same steps that just 18 months ago, Worrell vowed to fight for her seat back after Governor Ron DeSantis suspended her. He accused her of negligence and incompetence.
Sources have confirmed with Channel 9 that a grand jury is currently investigating Worrell’s first administration. But as of now, it is not clear what exactly that grand jury is looking into.
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Worrell did not speak about the grand jury proceedings because it’s not allowed.
Tuesday, she focused her speech on her victory and the office’s priorities moving forward.
“Today is about more than just about reclaiming a position. It’s about reclaiming our democracy. It’s about honoring the will of the people and restoring faith in the system meant to serve us all. Democracy is not passive. It requires engagement, accountability, and courage,” Worrell said.
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Worrell won in a landslide against the Governor’s pick, Andrew Bain, with over 57 percent of the vote.
Worrell says it has been a challenging past 18 months, not only in her fight to regain the seat but also with the death of her father.
She said his dying wish was that we wanted her to fight to get her seat back.
“I did it daddy, I took back my seat,” she said.
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She also spoke of the political challenges during her previous administration and the most recent campaign.
“My former political rivals joined with the new ones slander my name, discredit my character, and destroy my reputation and those associated with me. These attacks continue to this day,” Worrell said.
This is as questions loom about how long she could remain in office--- and if the governor could remove her again as a grand jury investigation into her previous administration is underway in Polk County.
Polk County’s chief judge said the grand jury’s decision likely won’t come until February because a hearing has been scheduled around that time.
Governor Ron DeSantis responded to her being sworn in Tuesday, saying Worrell got around not appearing before the Florida Senate for her suspension after she filed a lawsuit.
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“I think had she had to face the Florida senate on those charges, I absolutely believe she would have been convicted of that and i believe it would have been much different in terms of the voters,” DeSantis said.
Tuesday, Worrell also swore in her assistant state attorneys.
They have been stuck between the political chaos and the swinging pendulum of policies between the vastly different Worrell and Bain administrations.
“I will do everything I can to bring stability to this office and to create an environment where you can focus on serving the community instead of any political agenda,” Worrell said.
Bain scrapped or restructured some of Worrell’s programs and policies.
So, the question is, will Worrell do the same?
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She says her first several weeks, she’ll be observing and understanding the state of the office now.
“My goal is not to come in and tear everything down. It is to build on the foundation that we started when i first came to office. There were things we did well, initiatives that made a real difference, and those need to come back.
But I also see that changes have been made that might be working effectively. And it would not serve this community to undo progress just for the sake of change,” Worrell said.
There are some programs she knows immediately she wants to bring back, including her program, “Your Future, Your Choice.” It was launched in 2021 to reduce juvenile crime and teach youth about their rights, responsibilities, and consequences of their actions.
She also said she wants to review the changes Bain made with the diversion programs.
However, she knows for certain, that she wants to restore what she calls the “original essence” of the programs.
“Our duty goes beyond punishment. It is about building a justice system that people can believe in— one that supports victims, holds offenders accountable and restores trust between the system and the community,” Worrell said.
Worrell said if she decides to suspend a Bain administration initiative or program, she’ll have the data to back it up.
She said she is also working to bring in skilled talent to be a part of her executive team to help run day-to-day operations in the State Attorney’s Office.
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