Monique Worrell wins Orange-Osceola state attorney primary

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – UPDATE: Monique Worrell was declared the winner of Tuesday’s primary with 42% of the vote.

Original story below:

No matter the results of the election, residents in Orange and Osceola counties are guaranteed to have a new state attorney serving them starting next year.

LIVE RESULTS:

Four Democrats have qualified to run for the race and fill the role that will be vacated by current Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala.

Whoever among the four Democrats wins in the August primary will then face off against a no party affiliate candidate, Jose Torroella, in November.

It’s important that voters participate in the primary because, according to Orange County Supervisor of Elections Bill Cowles, the results of the August election, for some races, determine what voters can expect to see in the general election come November.

“If a person does move on to the general, it is very, very likely they are going to win big in the general election,” Cowles said.

[2020 VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know ahead of Florida’s primary election]

Job duties for the office include deciding whether criminal charges are appropriate at the conclusion of a case, enacting policy reform that can change the way the court system operates -- for example, Ayala created a policy that allows nonmonetary bond for suspects accused of certain non-violent offenses -- and reviewing police-involved shootings to determine whether the officer acted appropriately.

Before you head to the polls, read a little more about each candidate here:

Deborah Lynne Barra

Deborah Barra has 16 years of experience in Orange and Osceola counties and during that time she’s served as a trial unit director, homicide prosecutor, section leader of the special victims unit and, most recently, as chief assistant district attorney. Though she’s prosecuted more than 100 cases involving all types of crimes, she writes on her website that her passion lies in convicting sexual predators. Her goals, if elected, would be to prosecute the guilty while protecting the innocent and creating diversion programs for non-violent offenders. Barra also sits on Ayala’s death penalty review panel, a group of prosecutors who decide whether the death penalty is appropriate in a first-degree murder case.

Learn more about Barra and her campaign here.

Belvin Perry Jr.

Belvin Perry Jr., a former judge and currently an attorney for Morgan & Morgan, is perhaps best known for trying Casey Anthony in the case involving the death of her 2-year-old daughter. Aside from the 2011 trial, he’s also known for being the first Black person to be elected to the circuit bench of the Ninth Circuit, a role he served in for 25 years. His vision for the office includes developing a safe community initiative to focus on criminal hot spots in the community, focusing on prosecuting repeat offenders and gang-related criminals and bridging the gap between the state attorney’s office, law enforcement and the community.

Click here to learn more about Perry’s career and campaign.

Ryan Williams

Ryan Williams, a longtime assistant state attorney in Florida’s Ninth and Fifth Judicial Circuits, resigned from Ayala’s office after she announced in March 2017 that her prosecutors wouldn’t seek the death penalty in any case. He said during a segment of News 6 anchor Justin Warmoth’s “The Weekly” that he’s not a huge fan of the death penalty but he recognizes that it’s part of Florida’s law. Williams was one of the earliest candidates in the race, announcing his intent to run in March 2019. If elected, Williams plans to fully prosecute violent crimes, find alternatives to suspending driver’s licenses and try to send drug addicts to treatment facilities rather than jails.

Learn more about Williams and his campaign here.

Monique Worrell

Monique Worrell has earned endorsements from Ayala, Sen. Bernie Sanders and singer John Legend. During her career, she’s served as a public defender and a private attorney, she’s taught as a clinical law professor at the University of Florida College of Law, she became the founding director of the Conviction Integrity Unit in the State Attorney’s Office in Orange County and most recently, she’s served as the chief legal officer at the REFORM Alliance. Her platform points include ending mass incarceration, ensuring police accountability and changing bail policies to ensure that those who live in poverty aren’t unfairly penalized.

Click here to learn more about Worrell’s campaign.

Florida’s primary is Aug. 18.

You can learn more about the primary and what races you can expect to see on your ballot with ClickOrlando.com’s complete 2020 voter guide.