Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has suspended Andrew H. Warren, the elected state attorney of Hillsborough County and the top prosecutor in Tampa, accusing him of incompetence and neglect of duty for vowing not to prosecute those who seek or provide abortions, reports the New York Times. Warren was among 90 elected prosecutors across the country who in June vowed not to prosecute those who seek or provide abortions.
Law enforcement officials who appeared with DeSantis expressed frustration with Warren for not prosecuting certain crimes. Under Florida law, a governor can suspend state officials for wrongdoing that includes neglect of duty, incompetence, malfeasance, drunkenness or commission of a felony.
DeSantis is up for re-election in November and has faced growing criticism from Democrats that his approach to governing has become increasingly authoritarian.
Miriam Krinsky, the executive director of Fair and Just Prosecution, called Warren’s suspension “an unprecedented and dangerous intrusion on the separation of powers and the will of the voters.”
Additional Reading: How Some Prosecutors Changed the Face of Justice in 2021, The Crime Report, Dec. 7, 2021
1 Comment
The prosecutor does not have the power to criminalize anything, only the state; and it has done that in Florida with regard to abortion. All the prosecutor needs to do is enforce the law — not ignore it. Misleading headlines, like the one in this story do a disservice to the public.