The Republican governor announced the suspension of Hillsborough County District Attorney Andrew Warren at a news conference at the county sheriff’s office. “When you flagrantly violate your oath, when you are above the law, you have breached your duty, you have neglected your duty, and you demonstrate a lack of ability to be able to perform those duties,” DeSantis said to cheers. . The suspension comes as DeSantis is running for re-election in Florida and building his national profile as a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate through near-constant criticism of liberal policies on abortion, policing and other culture war issues. Warren, a Democrat, was elected state’s attorney by Hillsborough County voters in 2016 and 2020. In a statement, Warren said “the people have the right to elect their leaders — not to be dictated to by a would-be presidential candidate who he has shown time and time again that he doesn’t feel accountable to anyone.” “The governor is trying to overturn the results of fair and free elections, two of them actually,” he said later Thursday at a news conference. “People need to understand. This is not the governor trying to suspend an elected official. This is the governor who is trying to subvert democracy here in Hillsborough County.” Warren added that no cases involving violations of the state’s new abortion law have been brought to his office. In an executive order formally suspending Warren, DeSantis focused heavily on Warren signing statements in which prosecutors from across the country said they would not use their offices to prosecute criminal cases against abortion or gender transition treatment seekers or providers. . More than 90 attorneys general, state attorneys general and other elected prosecutors across the US signed the letter saying they do not intend to prosecute people for seeking, providing or advocating abortion. Some are in states with few or no restrictions on abortion. But others are under law enforcement in places where there are bans or deep restrictions — including counties that include Birmingham, Alabama and Jackson, Mississippi, along with many of Texas’ largest cities. In some cases, there may not be much to enforce because many clinics have either stopped offering abortions or have closed entirely. In addition to the prosecutors’ statements, city councils in places like Nashville, New Orleans and Boise, Idaho, have introduced or adopted measures telling law enforcement agencies to make abortion-related cases a low priority . Florida’s new abortion restriction went into effect on July 1. It bans abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions if the procedure is necessary to save the pregnant woman’s life, prevent serious injury, or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow exceptions in cases where the pregnancies were caused by rape, incest or human trafficking. Offenders may face up to five years in prison. Doctors and other health professionals could lose their licenses and face administrative fines of $10,000 for each violation. Florida has not enacted laws criminalizing gender transition treatments for minors, but “these statements demonstrate that Warren believes he has the authority to defy the Florida Legislature and invalidate criminal laws in his jurisdiction with which he disagrees.” , the executive order states. The executive order also accuses Warren of having a “deficient and illegitimate understanding of his duties as state’s attorney” in his “alleged failure to prosecute certain criminal violations, including trespassing, disorderly conduct, disorderly intoxication, and prostitution.” “ “The governor’s suspension of Attorney General Warren is not political for me. It’s a matter of law and order. It’s about making sure our loved ones are safe. It’s about the victims and their voices,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said. He said Warren acts as a kind of “supreme authority by reducing charges, dropping cases, and determining on his own what crimes are going to be legal or illegal in our county.” Asked if he was overriding the will of voters by suspending their choice of attorney general, DeSantis said Warren’s conduct has fallen “below the standards of the Florida Constitution” and that he has neglected his duty to state law. “I don’t think the people of Hillsborough County want to have an agenda that’s basically woke up, where you decide that your view of social justice means that certain laws shouldn’t be enforced,” the governor said. Rep. Fendris Driskel, D-Tampa and a candidate for leader of the Florida House Democratic Caucus, said Warren has used his prosecutorial discretion appropriately. “I’m not going to mince words: this is a shocking political attack on an elected official who serves the people of Hillsborough County,” he said. “Andrew Warren is stepping aside for assuring our community that he will not be a soldier in Ron DeSandis’ extremist agenda.” DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez to serve in Warren’s place during his suspension. “I have the utmost respect for the laws of our state and understand the important role the state’s attorney plays in keeping our community safe and our laws enforced,” Lopez said.
AP writer Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this report from Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
