MIAMI - The ACLU of Florida issued the following statement in response to Governor DeSantis suspension of State Attorney Andrew Warren:
“Governor DeSantis' decision today to suspend State Attorney Warren because he dared to stand up for the constitutional rights of Floridians is deeply troubling. Florida law gives independently elected state attorneys broad discretion to determine how best to seek justice in individual cases they are responsible for prosecuting.
“This decision is nothing less than an authoritarian effort to oust elected officials who do not align with the Governor’s extremist views on abortion. State Attorney Warren is being targeted for signing onto a joint statement by over 80 elected prosecutors across the country vowing to use their discretion wisely and focus their limited resources on prosecuting the perpetrators of violent crimes and keeping their communities safe. Duly elected state attorneys should not have to fear being targeted for choosing which cases they will prioritize, simply because it does not align with the governor's political agenda. The constituents of Hillsborough County twice elected State Attorney Warren to assume this position and use his discretion under state law. This kind of punitive action from our state’s leader is what we expect to see from repressive regimes, not democratic nations.”