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Name: Monique Worrell
Game Honored: Orlando Magic vs. New York Knicks (2/17/21)
Background: Back in the summer, a few months before getting elected as the new state attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Florida, Worrell received some notable endorsements. One was from now U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, previously a California attorney general and state senator, and the other was from renowned singer and activist John Legend.
Receiving the support from them, along with many other high-profile individuals and groups, showed the enormous respect and confidence many have of Worrell as she begins her term in office.
Creating a culture that is fair and equitable is what Worrell, a first-generation American, is on a mission to do in Orange and Osceola Counties. Using a root cause analysis, Worrell plans to implement policies that will address the injustices that exist.
Worrell’s professional journey started in 1999 after receiving her law degree from the University of Florida when she became a public defender in Orange County. Later, she was a clinical law professor at UF’s College of Law and more recently was the founding director of the Conviction Integrity Unit in the State Attorney’s Office in Orange County, where she led the investigation of claims for wrongful conviction.
One of her greatest achievements while working at UF was developing and implementing the Your Future, Your Choice program, which teaches youth their rights and responsibilities as citizens.
At every stop, it’s been her goal to help people stay on the right path, and now she is in a position where she can make a positive impact on even more lives.
“My passion stems from seeing the way different people are treated in different communities and seeing the criminalization of poverty as an underlying theme in our system and wanting to do something about that,” she said.
Making an Impact: Recently, Worrell, a Brooklyn, New York native, was the chief legal officer at REFORM Alliance, which is focused on reducing the number of people who are unjustly under the control of the criminal justice system.
Extremely proud to be involved in this non-profit organization, there’s growing optimism that outdated laws can be altered, or even eliminated in some cases, to improve conditions nationwide with so many people taking action.
Currently, there are several distinguished individuals involved with REFORM Alliance, including multiplatinum hip-hop artist Meek Mill, who is a founding partner and co-chair, 21-time GRAMMY award-winner Jay-Z, CNN political contributor Van Jones, and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
During her time with REFORM Alliance, Worrell helped a man get released from prison after he was wrongfully convicted of a crime by connecting him to a pro bono law firm to represent him.
Being Honored by the Magic: Having a pro sports team like the Orlando Magic take a stand, Worrell says, is making a huge impact and is bringing the necessary attention to critical criminal injustice issues.
“I am absolutely humbled that the Magic organization takes these things that I hold so dear as seriously as I do and they are using their platform to bring these things (forward) that are typically not often brought to light,” she said.
Worrell recently had the opportunity to share her vision with Magic players about how she plans to modify the system and create more equality, and she was incredibly impressed with their level of compassion for others.
“I think it’s quite commendable of them because they don’t have to do this,” she said. “They can go and do their job and go home and they’re not likely to be impacted by the perils of this system that I’ve discussed. I think it’s amazing that they would care enough to get involved.”
About the Program: As part of the Magic and Steve Clifford’s continuing efforts toward social justice reform, he created the Social Justice Game Changer program to honor one local leader who has made a difference in the realm of social justice issues. A cause close to his heart, Clifford is extremely active in programs that support equality and justice for all people in the Central Florida community.
Through this program, Clifford looks to put the spotlight on those continuously doing the hard work, day in and day out, fighting for sustainable change. As part of his program, one person is selected and honored each game. The honorees are given tickets, provided by Clifford, to the game and featured in-arena on the Magic Vision screen at center court.
“The purpose is to honor and to celebrate so many of the people in the Orlando community who are fighting for change and who commit their lives to making Orlando a better place,” Clifford said. “It’s just a way to celebrate them, what they stand for, and what they do for our community.”