Fla. Gov. Suspends Prosecutor Who Went Against Anti-Trans Proposal
executive order signed Thursday immediately suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren. He appointed Judge Susan Lopez, who he just appointed to the bench in December, to fill his role.“Prosecutors have a duty to enforce the law, not pick and choose which laws they agree with,” DeSantis said. “The State Attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit, Andrew Warren, has instituted nonenforcement policies and has declared that he will refuse to enforce laws he doesn’t like.”Warren, a Democrat, last June was among prosecutors nationwide who signed a Fair and Prosecution joint statement promising to take no part in efforts “criminalize transgender people and gender-affirming healthcare across the country.”“These blatantly unconstitutional attacks on some of the most vulnerable Americans will deeply harm public safety,” the statement read.The Florida Legislature has declined to move on proposed legislation to prohibit doctors from providing gender-affirming care to minors but the Florida Department of Health has proposed rules banning such care and limiting coverage even for adults.
Florida did pass a 15-week abortion ban that was signed into law by the governor, but that has not gone into effect to date.
A judge in June temporarily blocked enforcement of the order for potentially violating a right to privacy in Florida’s state constitution.
The state is appealing the decision.Florida Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, an out member of the Florida House, said the attack should be viewed as an attack on all Florida residents.“It’s not just those seeking abortions DeSantis wants criminalized.
