In an announcement that went out this past Thursday, DeSantis stated that “effective immediately,” he is issuing a total suspension to liberal State Attorney Andrew Warren because of his outright refusal to uphold and enforce the laws of the state of Florida.
“State Attorneys have a duty to prosecute crimes as defined in Florida law, not to pick and choose which laws to enforce based on his personal agenda,” stated DeSantis in the release. “It is my duty to hold Florida’s elected officials to the highest standards for the people of Florida. I have the utmost trust that Judge Susan Lopez will lead the office through this transition and faithfully uphold the rule of law.”
As part of the release, the governor’s office expressed that he has the authority to do this due to Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Florida and that he has now appointed Susan Lopez to carry out the role of the State Attorney for the duration of Warren’s suspension.
Lopez, the state attorney of the 13th Judicial Circuit, expressed that she holds the “utmost respect for our state laws” and understands “the important role that the State Attorney plays in ensuring the safety of our community and the enforcement of our laws.”
While flanked by various state officials and law enforcement, DeSantis made the argument as part of a Thursday press conference that Warren has refused multiple times to do their job and enforce the laws of Florida.
Governor Ron DeSantis makes an announcement about law enforcement. https://t.co/LfTJ4cUxMJ
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) August 4, 2022
“The constitution of Florida has vested the veto power in the governor, not in state attorneys,” stated the governor as part of the press conference. “We are not going to allow this pathogen of ignoring the law to get a foothold in the state of Florida.”
Christina Pushaw, a spokeswoman for Governor DeSantis, had issued hints about the announcement this past Wednesday night, issuing the warning that such an announcement would spark “the liberal media meltdown of the year.”
“Progressive prosecutors backed by Soros have refused to enforce laws across the country,” she claimed as part of a social media post this past Thursday. “They treat criminals with deference & victims with contempt. This dereliction of duty is why crime is surging. But @GovRonDeSantis won’t stand for this. He just suspended the one in Florida.”