An ousted Florida state attorney is suing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Andrew Warren claims DeSantis violated his First Amendment rights by removing him after he expressed support for gender-affirming surgery and abortion. (RELATED: Ron DeSantis Suspends Liberal State Attorney)
As The Hill reports:
DeSantis suspended Warren earlier this month for “incompetence” and “neglect of duty,” citing statements the prosecutor signed indicating he would refuse to enforce “prohibitions on sex change operations for minors” and “any laws related to protecting the right to life.”
In the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Warren said his statements were protected speech under the First Amendment and alleged that DeSantis used his authority to “suppress criticism and promote cronyism.”
The suit claims that DeSantis did not provide sufficient reason to justify Warren's suspension.
But his suspension only came after a statewide review of state attorney offices. Defending his decision to remove the rogue prosecutor, DeSantis said the dismissal stemmed from Warren's promise not to prosecute violators of the state's 15-week abortion ban, providers of gender re-assignment surgery for minors and, in general, not prosecuting first-time, low-level criminal offenders.
Warren had also signed a joint letter, published in June, committing to a new vision for the justice system. One “grounded in fairness, equity, compassion, and fiscal responsibility.” (RELATED: Dem Hailed as Working-Class Hero Lived Off Wealthy Parents Into His Late 40s)
Law enforcement officials in Florida's Bay Area have expressed support for the decision, including Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister who lambasted Warren as the arbiter of deciding “what crimes will be legal or illegal in our county.”
CNN has more on DeSantis' power and authority under Florida law:
After Warren had pledged not to prosecute those who seek or performed abortions or those who provide so-called gender-affirming treatments earlier this month, DeSantis announced he was suspending Warren for “neglect of duty” and “incompetence” as Hillsborough County's prosecutor.
Under Florida law, a governor can remove “any county officer” for malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform official duties, or commission of a felony.
Warren had served for two terms as the state attorney for Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa. Appearing on CNN earlier today, the suspended attorney accused DeSantis of “throw[ing] out the votes of hundreds of thousands of Floridians” and “substitut[ing] his judgment for that of the voters who elected me.”
A spokesperson for DeSantis dismissed the news, saying, “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.”
This story is developing. Stay with American Liberty News for the latest updates.
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Hey Warren, you are useless, and DeSantis was 100% correct in booting your butt to the curb. Instead of whining and suing, clean up your stinking act. Oh yeah…you’re a useless leftist!
It’s simple: Any district attorney who refuses to follow the law should be replaced with one who will.
His job is to prosecute lawbreakers. If, on a case by case basis, he declined to prosecute for a valid reason, that’s allowable. But a blanket refusal to prosecute certain crimes or certain people is grounds for removal.
Sue all you want. He fired you for cause. You didn’t do what you took an oath to do.
He was stupid enough to say out loud that he would not enforce certain laws that are on the books. He got exactly what he deserved. If he doesn’t lose this law suit then our justice system is more broken than we ever thought. When he loses he needs to be charged with paying back the state for what it cost the taxpayers to defend the laws of the state in court.
What a miserable disgrace he is, refusing to enforce the law and suing because he was fired for thwarting the Law! I have Warrens in my family; I hope this bird and Pocahontas are no relation.
He doesn’t purpose to enforce the law, why should he have a job.
Telling the boss you plan to refuse to do your job is hardly ever a good idea.
Just that alone is a valid reason to fire him. His trying to say he’s being denied his first amendment rights is a crock. Refusing to do your job and getting fired for it has nothing to do with the first amendment, and as a lawyer he should know that . The court should never have accepted the lawsuit to begin with.
Absolutely! His first amendment rights weren’t allowed and his statements are “protected speech”? Sure they are, and he had the right to say what he said. What he doesn’t have the right to is to say something to the effect of “I won’t enforce the law even though that’s my job” and not have any consequences to saying so. Do your job or get out.
The fish rots from the head down. Until we do something about Biden and his inability to do his job. He needs to be the country’s top executer of the law and stop being it’s top mob boss. Then these prosecutors who follow some other laws that are given to them by their campaign financiers instead of the Constitution and laws of their states can be set out on the curb like the garbage they are. At least this one didn’t get away with it. If it is within the governors duties to be the chief executor of the laws in his state and these prosecutors answer to him, then I see no future in a law suit except to drum up sympathy for leftist baby killers and their enablers. Probably what it is all about and Florida should look to see who is financing it. The usual suspects I bet.
A.W.,
Your freedom of speech was NOT impeded. You said exactly what you wanted to. DeSantis then exercised his legal authority to fire your ass for dereliction of duty after reviewing all the DA’s.
Now you try to cause drama about your freedom of speach. Good lord. Your freedom of speech is exactly what prompted DeSantis to review all the DA’s performance and got your ass canned.
I hope DeSantis wins the case, as legally he should, and nails you with criminal charges for dereliction of duty as well as all the court fees and punitive damages in a class action response. It would serve you right.
…he hurt my feelings so I’m gonna sue.
Give it up Warren…You failed to do your job…game over…Gov. DeSantis’s decision is right on the mark. You have NO case!