(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has the right to suspend a state attorney who said he wouldn’t prosecute any crimes that are related to either medicalized gender transition or abortion.
Forbes reported this week that Robert L. Hinkle, a U.S. District judge, decided Monday not to strike down DeSantis’ decision to suspend Andrew Warren from his post after saying he wouldn’t pursue those prosecutions. That means Warren won’t be reinstated to his job as the case put forth by the prosecutor moves through the legal system.
DeSantis suspended Warren back in August, and replaced him with an appointee of his own. The governor said that the prosecutor was “spitting in the face of voters” while accusing him of “neglect of duty.”
That came after Warren signed a statement that said he wouldn’t prosecute any crimes that are related to those two hot-button issues. By taking those actions, DeSantis said Warren was “defy[ing] the Florida Legislature.”
Warren has contended in his lawsuit that DeSantis’s decision overstepped the authority he had, since his position as attorney in Hillsborough County isn’t appointed by the Florida governor. He also claims that DeSantis violated his rights under the First Amendment and that he “silence[d] his critics, promote[d] his loyalists and subert[ed] the will of the voters.”
A report in Florida Politics said that, despite the fact that Hinkle ruled in favor of DeSantis in this emergency case, he “didn’t appear convinced” by the argument DeSantis’ side was making. In essence, that could mean that Warren could ultimately win reinstatement in court.
As Hinkle wrote:
“The public isn’t served by yo-yoing this office.”
He added that the interest of the public will take precedence in the case, essentially saying that the trial will be held in the near future.
Following DeSantis’ decision to suspend Warren — and the prosecutor’s decision to file a lawsuit — the governor’s office sent a note to The Post Millennial that read:
“It’s not surprising Warren, who was suspended for refusing to follow the law, would file a legally baseless lawsuit challenging his suspension. We look forward to responding in court.”
DeSantis then sent Warren an order of termination earlier this month that cited his “erroneous understanding of his duties [which] recently culminated in his public declaration that he would not enforce criminal laws enacted by the Florida Legislature that prohibit providers from performing certain abortions to protect the lives of unborn children.”
Warren sought out more publicity on the left-leaning network of CNN. He told them recently:
“The Florida Constitution sets very limited parameters under which a governor can suspend an elected official, and what’s happening here is he’s trying to overturn a free and fair election.”
Warren continued by asserting that since he won two different elections, the Florida governor was “throw[ing] out the votes of hundreds of thousands of Floridians” when he fired him.
DeSantis won the first round in court, though it seems as if Warren may hold a leg up in the next stage.
