On Wednesday, a Federal Judge ruled in favor of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, after a judge he removed from his post requested DeSantis’s testimony at the trial.
DeSantis suspended Tampa’s elected prosecutor, Andrew Warren, for putting ideology over the rule of law, as he pledged not to use his office to go after people who seek and provide abortions or on doctors that provide gender-affirming care to transgender people.
Warren made the vow in June, days before a state law banning abortion after 15 weeks was set to effect.
“To take a position that you have veto powers over the laws of the state is untenable,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Tampa surrounded by law enforcement.
Judge Warren has now sued in federal court claiming his ousting was purely political and a violation of his first amendment rights. The trial is scheduled to start next week without the Florida Governor’s presence.
“We had the individual here from Hillsborough County say and signed letters that there are certain laws he just won’t enforce and won’t prosecute,” DeSantis told Fox News “When you make yourself above the law, you have violated your duty.”
“We are going to make sure that our laws are enforced and that no individual prosecutor puts himself above the law,” he continued, “thanks to prosecutors that think they know better than the people’s representatives, and they get to pick and choose which laws that they’re enforcing.”
The problem comes as evidence has been brought forward showing DeSantis’s team prepared a pro and con list of how this move would affect the governor politically. Warren lost a related motion to regain his post in the interim, he must now wait until we have a ruling on the case.
Warren tweeted months ago, “The 15-week ban is unconstitutional on its face. Tallahassee knew it when it passed the bill hoping judges will ignore the privacy right in FL Constitution.”
“I put my hand on the Bible and swore to defend the US & Florida Constitutions,” Warren continued. “Florida’s Constitution has a privacy right that clearly covers abortion. While Tallahassee tries to circumvent the law, I will uphold the law and protect our freedom.”
“The governor should not have had to come to Hillsborough County and clean up our mess,” former Tampa police chief Brian Dugan said during the press conference. “That’s really what it comes down to.”
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