‘Very productive': Worrell accepts lawyers sent by Florida AG to clear case backlog
The move comes a day after Uthmeier promised the assistance, the latest turn in an imbroglio between him and Worrell over her policy seeking to clear more than 13,000 'nonarrest' cases awaiting review by her office. Worrell blames the caseload problem, which she said spans the administrations of several previous state attorneys, on a lack of funding for her Ninth Circuit Court office, which has long been a stage for political battles waged by Republican governors scrutinizing Democratic state attorneys for what the GOP often calls 'soft on crime' policies.
On Tuesday, Worrell commended Statewide Prosecutor Nick Cox, who was sent by Uthmeier for what she called a 'very productive meeting' where they discussed the mission of the new prosecutors going forward. Still, she said the help with clearing the backlog is but a 'temporary fix,' reiterating comments on Monday that she would need more funding for permanent prosecutors before she can rescind a recently adopted policy on nonarrest cases.
'Temporary and piecemeal approaches have unfortunately not solved the problem,' Worrell said in a Tuesday afternoon statement. 'Now is the time to seek permanent solutions so that we are moving as efficiently as possible to remove violent offenders from the community and deliver justice for victims. We will work with the additional prosecutors for as long as they are made available to our circuit while also continuing to advocate for long-term solutions, including more collaboration with law enforcement so that we have the probable cause necessary for prosecution.'
Worrell had announced two weeks ago that she would no longer accept for review low-level cases where police and sheriff's departments have not at least obtained an arrest warrant for a suspect, as a way of controlling her office's caseload. Uthmeier was sharply critical of that approach, and Worrell responded by requesting help to whittle down the backlog, which the attorney general is now providing.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who said the policy puts victims at risk, lauded Worrell's decision to request additional prosecutors to clear the backlog in a press conference with Uthmeier on Monday morning. Uthmeier, however, continued lobbing insults ahead of the state attorney's meeting with Cox on Tuesday in an interview with the conservative outlet News Max, where he called her a 'radical leftist, Soros prosecutor' who 'doesn't want to do her job.'
During the interview, he further dismissed Worrell's concerns about a lack of funding for her office as 'just an excuse.' His office did not respond to a message seeking comment following Worrell's announcement.
'Are you gonna take our help or not?' he asked on News Max. 'If resource constraints are truly the reason why you're not doing your job, then open up the door. Let us in, we're here to help.'
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