Florida judge defies family's wishes, rejects plea deal; refuels fight between Uthmeier, Worrell
Florida AG Uthmeier accuses Worrell of offering a 'sweetheart deal' in murder case
The argument stems over a plea deal offered in a first-degree murder case. Hassan Adeyemo is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Nanchin "Sarah" Adeyemo. First-Degree Murder is a capital offense. The State Attorney’s Office could have sought the death penalty if they’d chosen to, or life in prison. Instead, Worrell’s Office offered a plea for 30 years behind bars. Attorney General James Uthmeier applauded the decision by Judge Eric Netcher to not accept the plea.
A Florida judge presiding over a first-degree murder case rejected a plea agreement that would have sent the man accused of killing his wife to jail for 30 years, not life in prison. The victim's family, including their daughter, was OK with the plea agreement because it would avoid trial.
That decision has now refueled the ongoing public fight between Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit Monique Worrell.
The backstory:
Hassan Teddy Adeyemo is accused of shooting and killing his wife, Nanchin "Sarah" Adeyemo, at their Orange County home in August 2023. First-degree murder is a capital offense in Florida, which means the punishment, if convicted, could be as severe as life in prison or death.
In January, Adeyemo was presented with a plea deal. He rejected it, records show. Recently, a second plea deal was offered, one that Adeyemo, the state, and Adeyemo's daughter, who lost her mother, agreed to.
Daughter was OK with plea: ‘I don’t want to go to trial"
Sonia Davis told FOX 35 that she was left "confused" after the judge rejected the plea agreement because she did not want to take the case to trial and neither did her younger siblings.
"I don't want to have to put them through that," she told FOX 35 Investigative Reporter Marie Edinger. "I’m surprised that what I was avoiding, we’re just going to have to now do."
Remembering Nanchin "Sarah" Adeyemo
Davis said her mother had a beautiful heart and loved to help people. She went by "Sarah" and built a strong community through her work doing people’s hair. She also ran a foundation in Nigeria for widows, helping to purchase food and school supplies for kids.
Her daughters are trying to keep that foundation running.
"My mom was just always there for people. But I know she's looking down on us happy."
Plea deal rejected
Judge Eric Netcher rejected that plea deal and set trial for October 2026.
The State Attorney’s Office, Director of Court Services with the 9th Circuit, Public Defender’s Office, and Judge Eric Netcher’s office wouldn’t tell FOX 35 why Judge Netcher rejected the plea deal.
However, Sonia said the judge cited being uncomfortable with the sentencing in the plea agreement, did not feel her dad, Hassan, was remorseful, and that he kept repeating that he wasn't able to tell his side of the story.
"He’s like, ‘I don’t feel comfortable giving him that, I would feel more comfortable giving him life,’" David recalled.
Worrell vs. Uthmeier
What they're saying:
Attorney General James Uthmeier applauded the decision by Judge Eric Netcher, describing the proposed plea agreement as a "sweetheart deal" in a post on X.
"Judge Netcher in the 9th Judicial Circuit REJECTED State Attorney Monique Worrell’s attempt to give a sweetheart deal to a defendant who is facing 1st degree murder for killing his wife. Judges in the 9th need to keep pushing back on her reckless conduct!"
State Attorney Monique Worrell responded, claiming the plea agreement was requested and supported by the victim's family to avoid a trial.
"The appointed attorney general’s statement is misleading, and it exploits a family’s tragedy in an effort to score political points.
The facts matter. This was not a "sweetheart deal." The plea agreement required the defendant to serve 30 years in prison for killing his wife. It was a resolution the victim’s family requested — a request rooted in the fact they did not want to sit through a trial that would force them to relive one of the worst days of their lives in open court, in front of strangers, for days or weeks on end.
Judges and prosecutors weigh sentencing outcomes, trial risks, and the certainty of a plea against the uncertainty of a verdict every day. Reasonable people can and do disagree on where that balance lands. What cannot be dismissed is the family’s own voice — the people who lived through this loss and asked for this outcome.
The appointed attorney general had a choice: respect a grieving family’s wishes or use their pain as a talking point. Without reason, he continues to be ill-informed about the inner workings of an office he has no direct knowledge of. While I understand he’s running for the office he’s been appointed to, and he thinks he knows best, victims and their families deserve better than watching their tragedy repurposed for political gain.
My office will continue pursuing justice with integrity, compassion, and respect for the people we serve and not the will of the appointed attorney general."
By the numbers:
Trial court statistics for the past decade show just over two thirds of cases in Orange and Osceola counties are handled through plea deals. Defendants who take their cases to trial in the 9th Circuit are found guilty about 58% of the time, according to records reviewed by FOX 35.
In a previous case that the AG’s office criticized, Judge Netcher accepted a plea deal even when the victim’s family begged him not to. In that case, he explained his reasoning to the family, stating trials can be tricky with unpredictable outcomes.
The Source: The information used in this article is from court documents and records, an interview with Sonia Davis, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier's statement on X, and a statement from State Attorney Monique Worrell's Office.