ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Andrew Bain to replace Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell after he suspended her citing “neglect of duty” on Wednesday.
“I will make this office accountable to the community we serve and to ensure criminals who poisoned society, cause mayhem and murder, are held accountable under the law,” Bain said in a news conference Wednesday.
Channel 9 is digging into Bain’s background. Here’s what we know about him so far:
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In June 2020, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Bain, of Orlando, to the Orange County Bench of the Ninth Circuit, according to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida.
Bain filled the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Nancy Clark.
LIVE UPDATES: Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell
He won re-election in the 2022 primary election.
He served as an assistant state attorney in the Ninth Circuit since 2013.
Watch: State Attorney Monique Worrell discusses Daton Viel’s criminal history
While judges are nonpartisan in Florida elections, insiders said Bain aligns politically with DeSantis. One voter watchdog group wrote online that he is a member of the far-right Federalist Society.
Prior to 2019, Bain was registered as a Democrat.
As a judge, he’s been described as extremely tough in sentencing.
Read: ‘It is the loss of democracy’: Monique Worrell responds to her suspension as state attorney
According to the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court, Bain received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and his law degree from Florida A&M University College of Law.
According to an interview Bain did on the court’s “Conversations Beyond the Courtroom” podcast, Bain is from Lauderdale Lakes, which is outside of Fort Lauderdale in Broward County. He said he graduated from Blanche Ely High School.
Watch: Central Florida Spotlight: Monique Worrell
Bain said he played football starting in high school all the way to the NFL.
He said he played offensive line at the University of Miami and briefly for the New York Giants.
Bain said he decided to leave football and attend law school at Florida A&M. He graduated in 2013.
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