Florida Attorney General James Usmayer criticized Orlando District Attorney Monique Worrell’s handling of the criminal case in which Marcus Anderson was indicted by a grand jury on capital murder charges.
Anderson was facing charges that could carry the death penalty. Instead, Usmayer said Worrell’s office allowed Anderson to be sentenced to four years in prison as a “youthful offender.”
Usmayer argued that the results reflected what he described as a broader pattern of lenient plea deals for violent offenders. He denounced the decision as a dereliction of duty and called for an end to what he characterized as “sweetheart plea bargains” in serious criminal cases.
The criticism comes as Usmayer has continued to challenge Worrell’s prosecution methods, particularly in cases involving violent crimes and sentencing. In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Mr. Worrell, criticizing what he described as “dereliction of duty” and “incompetence” as well as lenient prosecution practices in Orange and Osceola counties. The governor’s order alleges that Mr. Worrell’s office circumvented mandatory minimum sentences in some firearms and drug trafficking cases, allowed some juvenile offenders to avoid felonies and incarceration, and pursued consequences that Mr. DeSantis says failed to protect the public. Worrell denies the charges and claims his suspension is politically motivated and interferes with prosecutorial discretion. As a result, DeSantis fired her and appointed Andrew Bain in her place. In 2024, the Florida Supreme Court denied Worrell’s request for reinstatement and allowed his suspension to continue.
A grand jury indicted Marcus Anderson on capital murder charges. Instead of the death penalty, Orlando State’s Attorney Worrell sentenced him to four years in prison as a “youthful offender.”
And she continues to offer sweetheart plea deals to violent criminals. This dereliction of duty must end! pic.twitter.com/gzdqks1z50
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) May 12, 2026
Earlier today, Usmayer called on the Florida House of Representatives to consider impeachment proceedings against the two judges, accusing them of putting the public at risk for their decisions.
In a social media post, Usmeyer criticized Tallahassee Judge Tiffany Baker for leaving the convicted child predator without bail, linking the decision to the subsequent murder of 5-year-old Missy Mogul. He also criticized Miami-Dade Judge Richard Hirsch, who granted bail to a defendant in a violent sexual assault case in which Usmayer claimed he forced a rock into the girl’s mouth during the assault.
Usmayer argued that these cases reflected that judges failed to properly consider public safety when deciding whether defendants should remain free pending further court proceedings. His comments further heightened criticism of judicial discretion in serious criminal cases and raised the question of whether state legislatures should pursue impeachment against judges accused of making dangerously lenient bail decisions.
