Last week, I sent a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis regarding the recent tragedy in Orange County that led to the loss of three lives and left our community devastated. I have supported the governor’s actions to keep Florida safe by removing officials that refused to enforce the law.
My letter applauds the governor’s recent request for information from State Attorney Worrell regarding the criminal history and the assailant and encourages Gov. DeSantis to take further action if dereliction of duty is found. Despite being known as a “known gang member” as Orange County Sheriff Mina said, and multiple arrests as a juvenile and adult, the criminal was allowed to walk free. I’m not an expert on criminal law, but it’s clear that something must be done.
A few weeks ago, a bill nullifying changes to D.C.’s Criminal Code to reduce penalties for violent crimes passed the U.S. House with strong bipartisan support. This week, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on an identical bill that also has bipartisan support and President Biden has announced he will sign this legislation. I’ve also cosponsored H.R. 27 which requires district attorneys and prosecutors to report annually the cases they decline to prosecute, the number of offenses that are committed by career criminals, and the number of criminals that are released. We cannot have criminals wandering our streets endangering the lives of innocent people because soft on crime prosecutors don’t want to prosecute crimes.
Congressman Daniel Webster represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives.
