TALLAHASSEE, Fla (WCTV) – The circuit judge presiding over the abuse and murder trial of Daniel Spencer has recused herself from the case.
Circuit Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper filed the order Monday morning in response to a defense motion asking that she be disqualified.
Spencer’s defense attorney argued in an April 9 motion that calls by the Florida Governor and Florida Attorney General to impeach Baker-Carper had made this case a “hot topic” in the media and he feared Spencer would “not receive a fair trial from the current trial judge.”
Spencer was convicted at trial in April 2025 of traveling to meet a minor for sex, but Judge Baker-Carper released him on bond to await sentencing.
Just weeks later, Spencer was accused of abusing and killing his 5-year-old step-daughter Missy Mogle. Both he and his wife, Chloe Spencer, could face the death penalty for it if convicted.
The girl’s 23-year-old mother Chloe Spencer and 35-year-old stepfather Daniel Spencer were both taken into custody Monday and both face charges of aggravated battery on a child, child neglect with great bodily harm and failure to report child abuse, the court documents revealed.(Leon County Jail)
The recusal order filed with the court Monday morning applies to both the pending murder charges against Spencer and the initial child sex case.
In it, Judge Baker-Carper asks the Chief Judge to “re-assign the cases to another judge for further consideration and disposition.”
It’s not clear when the Chief Judge will appoint a new judge to oversee the case.
Spencer is currently set to stand trial for Missy Mogle’s murder on June 22.
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