ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Citing a neglect of duty, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday morning that he was suspending Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell effective immediately.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Incarceration rates in Orange County are low and the number of charges dropped in the circuit are high.

Worrell is arguing you don’t need to put everyone in jail to make the community safer, as the falling crime rate shows.

According to state leaders, their primary reason for ousting Worrell was her officer’s low prosecution numbers.

READ: Central Florida reacts to DeSantis’ suspension of Monique Worrell: Hear from local officials

Data from the state shows the Ninth circuit’s Incarceration rate since Worrell took office was 527 per million residents, less than half the statewide average. It ranked among the bottom for most of the 54 categories the state tracks.

The circuit came in last for assaults on law enforcement officers, as well as drug trafficking. The DeSantis administration also took issue with Worrell’s office decision to drop charges at extremely high rates: more than 61% of all charges since 2021 and more than half of those in the early stages of prosecution.

“Usually, you’re pretty safe when you’re in the 20s,” said Former Chief Judge Belvin Perry, who lost to Worrell in 2020 election and donated to her  replacement Andrew Bain’s campaign for judge. “Then you when you get to the 30s and above, you need to look at and see – is it the state attorney’s problem, Or is it the cases that law enforcement are submitting?”

LIVE UPDATES: Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell

Perry said it’s possible for a prosecutor to find a happy medium and to serve justice without being a hardliner.

Worrell and her supporters point to declining crime rates to show her policies were effective, and Florida jails too many people for too long.

READ: ‘It is the loss of democracy’: Monique Worrell responds to her suspension as state attorney

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspends Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday morning that he was suspending Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell effective immediately. (WFTV)

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

©2023 Cox Media Group