A Florida judge let a convicted sex offender walk out the front door – and a 5-year-old girl named Missy Mogle paid for it with her life.
That judge is still on the bench.
DeSantis just made sure the next judge who tries it knows the whole state is watching.
Every Escape Hatch in Florida Just Got Welded Shut
Standing in Winter Haven Tuesday alongside Attorney General James Uthmeier and FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass, DeSantis signed a package of bills with one unifying purpose: there is no longer a loophole in Florida for career criminals, gang members, or soft-on-crime judges to exploit.
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/2066949920385540376?s=20
Start with the career offenders.
SB 1332 expands Florida's Career Offender Registration Act to require career offenders to check in personally at their local sheriff's office – not mail in a form, not call a hotline.
They have to report every change in their residence, employment, vehicles, and phone numbers.
That's not registration – that's surveillance, and it's exactly what they deserve.
Then the gangs.
HB 429 lets Florida prosecutors use social media activity and online admissions of gang affiliation as evidence of gang involvement.
Those aren't just selfies on Instagram – those are confessions, and Florida's DA offices can now use them to put gang members away where they belong.
Then the officers.
SB 156 – the Officer Jason Raynor Act – increases penalties for crimes committed against law enforcement and makes one thing crystal clear: you do not have the right to resist an officer acting in good faith.
And for anyone who thought a prior conviction for resisting with violence was a freebie – SB 436 lets prosecutors use that history to enhance charges the next time around.
"The momentum is real, and I think these bills are proof positive of that," DeSantis said.
The Judge Who Let a Child Die
The most powerful moment Tuesday wasn't about any of the bills.
It was what DeSantis said about Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper.
https://twitter.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/2066885489878266336?s=20
Baker-Carper released convicted sex offender Daniel Spencer on bond before his sentencing.
Spencer used that freedom to beat and murder his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Missy Mogle, in May 2025.
Florida is now seeking the death penalty for Spencer and the girl's mother.
Baker-Carper is still sitting on the bench in Leon County.
DeSantis called on the Florida House to impeach her – and he wasn't subtle about it.
"Until you start holding these judges accountable, they are going to continue to find ways to benefit the criminal element," DeSantis said.
He noted Republicans have well more than the two-thirds majority required to make it happen.
Florida already passed Missy's Law, requiring judges to immediately remand convicted criminals into custody pending sentencing.
It wasn't enough for DeSantis.
"I think any judge that lets a convict out should then be responsible for the convict's future criminal activity pending sentencing," DeSantis said.
That's not a talking point – that's a policy position that would reshape judicial accountability in Florida overnight.
What Florida Looks Like When It Decides to Win
Florida's violent crime rate has dropped 15.2% from 2024 levels.
That doesn't happen by accident – it happens when a governor treats public safety like a war instead of a press release.
The FBI's own data shows more than 69,000 gang-related incidents reported nationwide between 2021 and 2024, with murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults making up more than half.
Florida is moving in the opposite direction from that national trend – and it's not because criminals suddenly got nicer.
Uthmeier made clear the mission goes beyond any single bill.
"We're going to fight every day to put bad guys away, make this the safest state to raise a family," he said.
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DeSantis also defended Alligator Alcatraz – the Everglades detention facility his administration built to process illegal aliens for deportation – saying it was never intended as a permanent warehouse but a bridging operation while federal immigration agencies rebuilt capacity after Biden gutted them.
The state is also moving against "teen takeovers" – organized gatherings that have turned violent across several Florida communities.
"We do not recognize any teen takeover," DeSantis said. "If you try that, you are doing that at your peril."
Florida under DeSantis looks nothing like the states where prosecutors are still releasing gang members on recognizance bonds and celebrating the reduced prison population.
It looks like a state that figured out the first job of government is keeping its citizens alive – and decided to actually do it.
Sources:
- Kennedy Owens, "DeSantis signs public safety package targeting gangs, repeat offenders," Florida News, June 16, 2026.
- Fox News, "DeSantis calls for impeachment of judge for releasing sex offender who then allegedly killed stepdaughter," March 31, 2026.
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, "Gang Activity, 2021–2024," Federal Bureau of Investigation, September 8, 2025.
- The Global Statistics, "Florida Crime Statistics 2025," August 25, 2025.
- Daily Caller, "DHS Launches Deportation Flights From 'Alligator Alcatraz,'" July 25, 2025.
