A judge let a convicted child predator walk free – and one month later he murdered his five-year-old stepdaughter.
Ron DeSantis just fixed the law that made it possible.
But then he went further than any Florida governor ever has.
The Judge Who Put a Convicted Predator Back on the Street
Daniel Spencer was no mystery to the Leon County court system.
In April 2025, a jury convicted him of traveling to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex.
That's a serious felony.
Prosecutors stood before Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper and begged her to remand Spencer to custody while he awaited sentencing.
She let a convicted child predator walk out of her courtroom on bond.
One month later, Spencer and Missy's mother, Chloe Spencer, murdered five-year-old Missy Mogle by asphyxiation.
Evidence later revealed videos of Spencer binding the child's hands and feet, smothering her with pillows.
Missy's grandmother, Pepper Mogle, stood behind DeSantis as he signed the law named for her granddaughter.
"I'm just thankful that justice is being served right now for my granddaughter," she said. "She did not deserve it."
What Missy's Law Does
DeSantis signed House Bill 445 on March 31, 2026.
The law closes a gap that was hiding in plain sight.
When a jury convicts someone of a dangerous crime in Florida, judges now must remand that person to custody immediately – no bond, no waiting, no second chances between conviction and sentencing.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2039087064860287222?s=20
The law specifically covers sexual offenses, violent crimes, and expands the list of dangerous crimes to include child exploitation and computer pornography offenses.
"You don't release the convict just because you haven't done sentencing yet," DeSantis said at the signing ceremony in Tampa.
"If we had this bill in place then, Missy would be alive today."
The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
DeSantis Wants Baker-Carper Gone
DeSantis didn't stop at signing the law.
He called out the Florida House of Representatives directly.
Republicans hold an 85-34 supermajority – more than the two-thirds needed to impeach a judge under the Florida constitution.
"You have the power, and you have sufficient numbers in your chamber, to impeach this judge, Tiffany Baker-Carper," DeSantis said.
"Until you start holding these judges accountable, they are going to continue to find ways to benefit the criminal element."
Hours later, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a formal letter to House Speaker Danny Perez demanding impeachment proceedings begin immediately.
"Judge Baker-Carper's decision that allowed Spencer, a convicted child predator, to remain on bond is why Missy is dead today," Uthmeier wrote.
https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/2039028683617259663?s=20
Under Florida law, a judge can be impeached for a misdemeanor in office – and Uthmeier argued Baker-Carper's call met that threshold.
If Baker-Carper is impeached or resigns, DeSantis appoints her replacement.
The Broader War Over Activist Judges
This isn't DeSantis fighting a random local case.
This is the inevitable collision between a conservative governor who has battled activist judges for years and a judiciary that consistently finds reasons to protect criminals over victims.
Baker-Carper's reasoning for keeping Spencer free was that he had already been out of jail for a year without violations and had no violent criminal history.
A convicted child predator. No violent history. So let him go.
That logic – prioritizing the criminal's track record over the danger he posed to the children in his home – is exactly the judicial philosophy DeSantis has been fighting since day one.
Florida impeachments are rare, but the threat has teeth.
In 2017, the House took initial steps toward impeaching two Florida judges for misconduct.
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/2039076803701010634?s=20
One of them – Judge Mark Hulsey, who made racist and sexist remarks from the bench – resigned before his hearing took place.
Baker-Carper was elected in 2020.
If the Florida House follows DeSantis and Uthmeier's lead, she won't serve out her term.
And for the first time in Florida history, a governor is publicly demanding a judge's impeachment not for corruption or personal misconduct – but for a judicial decision that cost a five-year-old her life.
Missy Mogle deserved a system that protected her.
DeSantis just made sure the next child gets one.
Sources:
- Ana Goñi-Lessan and News Service of Florida, "DeSantis signs 'Missy's Law,' calls for House impeachment of judge," WUSF, March 31, 2026.
- "Gov. DeSantis signs Missy's Law as he calls for House to impeach judge who let her accused killer out on bond," FOX 13 Tampa Bay, March 31, 2026.
- "Florida Attorney General calls for impeachment of Leon County circuit judge after Missy's Law signed," WCTV, March 31, 2026.
- "DeSantis tells Florida House to impeach Tallahassee judge who released sex offender on bond," WLRN, March 31, 2026.
- Jim Hoft, "Blood on Her Hands: Florida Moves to IMPEACH Radical Judge After Sickening Release of Predator Leads to Murder of 5-Year-Old Stepdaughter," The Gateway Pundit, April 1, 2026.
