A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier called on the Florida House to impeach Leon Circuit Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper over her handling of a case related to the murder of a Tallahassee girl, her supporters are defending her and casting blame on the state.
The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in an April 1 news release fired back at both DeSantis for his impeachment remarks and the State Attorney’s Office for its handling of the same case involving the stepfather accused in the murder of 5-year-old Missy Mogle.
“Florida’s governor is urging impeachment of a Tallahassee judge,” the association said. “He should respect our constitutionally mandated separation of powers and quit using the criminal legal system and the lives of Floridians to bolster his political career, impugning along the way the good names of public servants who can’t fight back — judges.”
It was just the latest development since DeSantis asked the Florida House to impeach Baker-Carper during an event in Tampa in which he signed legislation called “Missy’s Law” that was prompted by the little girl’s murder.
Missy died May 19 after losing consciousness at her Southwood home. She was found with injuries all over her body, from cuts and bruises to burns and ligature marks.
Her stepfather, Daniel Spencer, 36, and her mother, Chloe Spencer, were indicted later on first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and other charges in her death. Both face the death penalty.
When Missy died, Daniel Spencer was out on bond following his conviction just weeks earlier for traveling to meet a minor in an otherwise unrelated child sex sting.
Baker-Carper, who presided over his one-day trial in April 2025, opted to allow him to remain free pending sentencing — a decision that led to the current political firestorm.
Shortly after Missy’s death, State Attorney Jack Campbell blasted Baker-Carper’s handling of the case, noting that the prosecutor in court asked for Daniel Spencer to be jailed immediately after he was found guilty.
The criminal defense lawyers association, citing reporting by the Tallahassee Democrat, said Spencer had been investigated for sexually abusing Missy less than a year before her death but “the state refused to press charges.”
“Video from the courtroom showed that when the judge asked the State whether there was any reason not to let the stepfather be released pending sentencing, the State never mentioned this prior investigation,” the association said. “The stepfather also was previously investigated for physical abuse of Missy’s mother, which also was not relayed to the judge.”
Missy’s death prompted Uthmeier to propose “Missy’s Law,” which passed without difficulty during the latest legislative session. The law requires judges to automatically jail defendants convicted of certain dangerous crimes and offenses involving children, including traveling to meet a minor.
The Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, which opposed Missy’s Law, said defendants are routinely “left at liberty” until sentencing and that should remain so absent specific circumstances “such as a violent past or an articulated danger to the community.”
“Missy’s death was a tragedy, it should not have happened, and our system let her down,” said Tania Alavi, president of the association. “But the answer is not a rigid rule without discretion, especially for pleas. People should not be jailed when even the judge and prosecutor don’t believe it’s appropriate.”
‘It’s purely political’
Uthmeier, who also participated in the bill signing in Tampa, sent a letter to House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, later in the day calling for impeachment proceedings.
“Judge Baker-Carper’s decision that allowed Spencer, a convicted child predator, to remain free on bond is why Missy is dead today,” he wrote, adding that his office was ready to assist “to ensure that Judge Baker-Carper never hears another case again.”
The Democrat reported extensively on Missy’s life story, including the involvement of the Florida Department of Children and Families, police, prosecutors and judges in the years and months before her death. The articles raised questions about how the state’s child welfare system failed to protect her.
Aaron Wayt, president-elect of the criminal defense lawyers association, spoke out on Facebook, calling the situation “an ugly political game.”
“The fault here lies not with the Judge but rather with the State Attorney’s Office for failing to give the judge all the information she needed to make a safe, responsible decision,” he said.
Wayt also appeared on Greg James’ radio show on Hallelujah 95.3 FM a day after the bill signing with Tallahassee attorney Mutaqee Akbar, a staunch Baker-Carper supporter.
“It’s purely political,” Akbar said.
“Stop the madness and call out who failed the child!!!!” one woman wrote. “#judgetiffanydidherjob!!”
On April 2, the Florida Legislative Black Caucus issued a statement saying that impeachment must be based on “verified evidence” rather than “speculation or political pressure” and that rushing to impeach “without a clear factual record undermines the very justice we seek to uphold.”
“We urge our colleagues and all involved parties to resist premature political escalation and instead commit to a responsible process that honors both accountability and justice,” the caucus said.
First elected in 2020, Baker-Carper was the youngest woman and African American ever elected judge in the 2nd Judicial Circuit, according to her bio. She is seeking re-election this year and has not drawn an opponent.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Judge’s supporters fire back at DeSantis amid impeachment push
Reporting by Jeff Burlew, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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