Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is taking action against woke prosecutors who put themselves above the law, announcing the suspension of State Attorney Andrew Warren.
DeSantis, speaking from Tampa, detailed the growing emergence of woke prosecutors across the country and the frustration it has caused within the law enforcement community. These prosecutors, he explained, are effectively nullifying laws with selective enforcement, allowing crime to run rampant across the country. The governor asked for an examination of such actions in the Sunshine State and said the results pointed to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County with State Attorney Andrew Warren.
DeSantis detailed some of the egregious instances of his disregard for the rule of law — from refusing to enforce any prohibitions on sex change operations for minors, regardless of action from the legislature, to asserting that he would not enforce any laws relating to protecting the right to life in the Sunshine State.
“It’s not for him to put himself above that [the legislature’s action] and say that he is not going to enforce the laws. 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,” DeSantis explained.
#BREAKING: Gov. Ron DeSantis is suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren, a Democrat, for vowing to not enforce prohibitions on sex changes for minors or restrictions on abortion
“When you make yourself above the law, you have violated your duty.” pic.twitter.com/BegsmOXqWR
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) August 4, 2022
“The constitution of Florida has vested the veto power in the governor, not an 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,” the governor said.
“You have neglected your duty and you are displaying a lack of competence to be able to perform those duties and so today, we are suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren,” DeSantis announced, vowing that his administration will not “allow this pathogen that’s been around the country of ignoring the law. We are not going to let that get a foothold here in the state of Florida.”
“We are going to make sure that our laws are enforced and that no individual prosecutor puts himself above the law,” he continued, noting that the states and localities that are doing that — allowing woke prosecutors to get away with refusing to enforce the law — are now dealing with unsafe communities “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 decision to suspend Warren, he added, had “a lot of input around the state.”
“This is something that I think is a very, very important issue across our country that this movement would be allowed to take hold where you basically elevate your own personal conception of quote, ‘social justice’ over what the law requires of you,” he said, blasting these George Soros-backed prosecutors.
“I think today’s action is obviously warranted,” the governor added, introducing several sheriffs who lauded the governor’s decision.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said the suspension of Warren is not political, but about “law and order.”
“It’s about ensuring our loved ones are safe. It’s about the victims and their voices. There aren’t Republican and Democratic victims, just victims. They matter. And they should be heard,” he said.
“Over the last several years, State Attorney Warren has acted as an adjudicator of all as some type of supreme authority by reducing charges, dropping cases and single handedly determining what crimes will be legal or illegal in our county. Ask yourself, aren’t these the decisions for the courts or a jury of our peers?” he asked.
“As a sheriff of Hillsborough County, I am committed the law and order and I hold myself accountable to the people and would expect other elected members of our community to hold the same values. Today, Governor DeSantis is holding State Attorney Warren accountable,” he added.
Judge Susan Lopez will replace Warren, the governor announced.
