Florida Bar confirms investigation into 2 Worrell prosecutors over deputy’s indictment

The Florida Bar is investigating two former prosecutors for the Orange-Osceola State Attorney after they were accused of botching an aggravated battery case against an Orange County deputy, the Orlando Sentinel has learned.

The investigation centers on claims that attorneys David Fear and Alfredo Zamora violated ethics rules in prosecuting Deputy Bruce Stolk when they worked under now-suspended State Attorney Monique Worrell. Stolk, indicted after shooting an unarmed man during a chase in 2020, had his charges dropped by the current State Attorney, Andrew Bain.

Bar spokesperson Jennifer Krell Davis confirmed the investigation Wednesday when asked by the Sentinel. Fear, a private attorney, said he was not aware of the probe until he was contacted by the Sentinel but declined to comment further.

Zamora, also a private attorney, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

Assistant State Attorney Ryan Williams, a top Bain prosecutor, filed a motion in March to release the grand jury testimony from the Stolk case. He argued it would demonstrate Fear, Zamora and others on Worrell’s team knew Stolk was lying when he said he shot the man intentionally, but moved forward with the case anyway. Williams contended the shooting was accidental and Stolk should not have been charged with aggravated battery.

But Circuit Judge Vincent Chiu rejected Williams’ argument, ruling the allegations of ethics violations amounted to “policy differences” between Worrell and Bain, who will face each other in an election this November. Chiu’s June 14 ruling said the Bar would be the appropriate body to investigate further.

Worrell is not under investigation by the Bar regarding Stolk’s case.

Chiu wrote in his ruling that Williams failed to offer sufficient evidence challenging “the honesty, trustworthiness or fitness” of Worrell’s prosecutors warranting the release of the grand jury testimony. Such proceedings are held behind closed doors and the transcripts are routinely sealed under Florida law.

After the Sentinel reported on the ruling, Worrell issued a statement blasting what she said was Bain’s “politically motivated” handling of the case. In response, Bain called on Worrell to “join us in our request that the testimony be made public so the people in our community can make that determination for themselves.”

“Her failure to seek public disclosure of the testimony speaks volumes,” Bain’s statement said.