Rogue state and district attorneys have, in recent years, become a plague on public safety and the rule of law. Attorneys like New York’s Alvin Bragg (D) and (formerly) San Francisco’s Chesa Boudin (D) have totally declined to enforce numerous laws designed to protect their jurisdictions, angering those victimized by rising crime rates.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has responded to these concerns, announcing at a press conference on Thursday morning that he was suspending “Soros-backed” Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren, effective immediately.
As DeSantis highlighted during his speech, Warren has frequently put himself at odds with the Florida state government and its laws. The state attorney has publicly touted his refusal to enforce current or future state laws, with abortion and sex change operations for minors among them.
"It's not for [Warren] to put himself above that, and say that he is not going to enforce the law," DeSantis explained. "We don't elect people in one part of the state, to have veto power over what the entire state decides on these important issues.”
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The governor also added:
The constitution of Florida has vested the veto power in the governor, not in individual state attorneys. And so when you flagrantly violate your oath of office, when you make yourself above the law, you have violated your duty, you have neglected your duty, and you are displaying a lack of competence to be able to perform those duties. So today, we are suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren effective immediately.
After his dismissal, an enraged Warren quickly went on the offensive during a press conference on a cold case, bashing DeSantis for his purported presidential ambitions.
“If the governor thinks he can do a better job, then he should run for state attorney, not president,” Warren said, calling his dismissal “an illegal overreach.”
In his place, DeSantis has appointed Susan Lopez, a judge on the Hillsborough County Court, who thanked the governor for his trust in her and promised to “faithfully execute the duties of this office.”
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