In a press conference before deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Republican governor said Warren had “put himself publicly above the law” by declaring he would not enforce some of Florida’s most controversial laws. “State’s attorneys have a duty to prosecute crimes as defined in Florida law, not choose which laws to enforce based on his personal agenda,” DeSantis said Thursday. “It is my duty to hold Florida’s elected officials to the highest standards for the people of Florida. I have the utmost confidence that Judge Susan Lopez will lead the office through this transition and faithfully uphold the rule of law.” In the executive order suspending Warren, DeSantis claimed the attorney general for the 13th Judicial Circuit was working to “nullify the laws enacted by the people’s representatives” and actively refusing to enforce certain state laws. DeSantis noted that Warren, a Democrat, has “put it in writing that he will not prosecute individuals who perform abortions in violation of Florida’s criminal laws protecting the life of the unborn child.” At the news conference, several other local leaders expressed frustration with Warren’s decision not to prosecute some cases, including Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, who claimed the state’s attorney “seems to focus on empathy for criminals and less interested in pursuing justice for victims of crime. .” “We have a governor who will stand up for us,” added Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. The Hillsborough district attorney’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Democratic Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, Florida’s first LGBTQ lawmaker, told The Daily Beast on Thursday that DeSantis’ decision to suspend Warren is “disturbing.” An outspoken critic of the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Smith explained that “it says a lot that DeSandis just suspended a two-time Florida attorney just because he’s not willing to send women — and doctors — who to have abortions in prison.” “This is an abuse of power to punish and retaliate against anyone who goes against their extreme agenda,” Smith said. “What we are seeing is this government transforming into an authoritarian regime. They are taking away our freedoms one team at a time and they should scare every Florida man.” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who is vying for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination to run against DeSantis, called Warren’s suspension “a politically motivated attack on a universally respected prosecutor who was democratically elected to exercise the discretion of prosecutors”. “Ron DeSantis is a pathetic bully,” Fried said in a statement Thursday. Warren, who is up for re-election in 2020, hasn’t been quiet about his views on some of Florida’s hottest legal issues — from the state’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill to abortion after Roe against Wade. it was overturned last month. “I am disgusted to see the passage of the ‘Don’t say gay’ bill,” Warren said in a statement in March. “At a time when our state needs to come together to solve important problems, this bill breeds bigotry and hate — and our society has had enough of both.” Last month, Warren was among a group of prosecutors nationwide who signed a statement refusing to prosecute people “who seek, provide or support abortion.” The move came after DeSantis signed a bill in April that limits most abortions in the state after 15 weeks unless the pregnancy is life-threatening. Florida’s abortion law, which took effect in July, has no exemptions for incest, human trafficking or rape. Warren was the only Florida prosecutor to sign the letter, which was organized by the group Fair and Just Prosecution. “As I said before, I put my hand on the Bible and took an oath to defend the US and Florida Constitutions. The Florida Constitution has a right to privacy that clearly covers abortion. While Tallahassee tries to skirt the law, I will uphold the law and protect our freedom,” Warren said in a June 30 tweet. While Warren serves his indefinite suspension, DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez to take his place. Lopez was previously an assistant district attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit for more than 15 years. “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 in a statement. “I want to thank the Governor for his confidence in me and I promise to faithfully carry out the duties of this office.” Democratic state Rep. Anna Escamani said in a statement to The Daily Beast that Warren’s suspension is “a blatant political attack on a legitimately elected district attorney who has publicly stated that she would not follow the extreme anti-abortion and anti-Gov. Ron DeSantis. -LGBTQ+ Agenda”. “It’s also important to stress that there are currently no laws in Florida that punish pregnant or transgender parents, so what the Governor said today in his announcement is shocking and inaccurate,” he added. “However, it’s good to know that DeSantis believes women should be arrested for terminating their pregnancies—that’s an important point for voters to be aware of.”
