DeSantis fires back in Warren case

to avoid enforcing a new law preventing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Also, for example, DeSantis cited Warren policies that could limit prosecution of cases related to bicycle and pedestrian stops by police.

issuing the executive order is necessary for the proper function of Florida’s government both now and in the future,” Warren’s lawyers wrote.

But in addition to arguing that the issue should be resolved by the Senate, attorneys for DeSantis contended in Monday’s response to the petition that the suspension was justified.

“The governor suspended Mr. Warren because of non-prosecution policies that simultaneously revealed Mr. Warren’s neglect of duty and incompetence and reduced the deterrent effect of the criminal law in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (the Hillsborough County circuit),” the document said.

By Jim Saunders Florida News Service

Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis late Monday urged the Florida Supreme Court to toss out an attempt by suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren to get reinstated, arguing the issue should be decided by the state Senate.

In a 56-page document, the attorneys wrote that a petition filed by Warren at the Supreme Court “presents quintessential political questions.” It also pointed to part of the Florida Constitution that gives the governor authority to suspend officials and the Senate power to remove them.

“This (Supreme) Court should now make clear what it has often implied: the validity of a suspension and removal is a non-justiciable political question,” the document said.

Warren filed the petition Feb. 15 at the Supreme Court, more than six months after DeSantis suspended him for alleged “incompetence” and “neglect of duty.”

DeSantis pointed, in part, to a letter the twice-elected Democrat signed pledging