The Tampa Bay area’s most prominent Jewish politician, Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren, was suspended from office on Thursday, Aug. 4 by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on grounds of neglect of duty.
Among elements of the order to suspend Warren are assertions that Warren publicly pledged not to prosecute abortion providers in Florida who would be in violation of the state’s new law making abortions after a 15-week gestation period illegal, including cases of rape, incest and sex trafficking. Warren has said he believes the law, which is being challenged in court, is unconstitutional.
DeSantis also cited Warren’s pledge not to criminalize gender-affirming healthcare or transgender people (there are no laws against this at this time) and the governor cited his practice of, in many cases, not prosecuting cases stemming from police stops for bicycling or pedestrian offenses, trespassing on business property, disorderly conduct, disorderly intoxication and prostitution.
The suspension order noted that prosecutors have discretion in whether to prosecute individual cases, but blanket policies against prosecuting particular offenses represents a neglect of duty.
Warren has vowed to fight the suspension and on both Thursday and Friday, Aug. 4-5, people gathered outside the courthouse in Tampa to protest the suspension.
DeSantis appointed Hillsborough County Judge Susan Lopez to fill Warren’s post. Appointed as a county…
