Gray Rohrer
The Senate’s review of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ suspension of Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren is on pause.
Senate rules state suspension reviews must be put on hold while any legal case surrounding the suspension plays out. After Warren filed suit in federal court Wednesday, Senate President Wilton Simpson wrote a memo to senators letting them know of the halt.
“The basis for any future Senate proceeding will be impacted by the current litigation,” wrote Simpson, a Trilby Republican. “As such, I have directed that any Senate proceedings regarding Executive Order of Suspension 22-176 be held in abeyance until a final determination in this pending litigation has been rendered.”
The state constitution gives the Senate the authority to review any suspension made by the Governor of a public official. Such Senate trials, though, are rare. The last one came in 2019, when the Senate voted to uphold DeSantis’ suspension of Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel for his actions regarding the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in 2018.
DeSantis suspended Warren on Aug. 4, citing Warren’s signing of a pledge not to prosecute women seeking abortions or their doctors in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. He also cited Warren’s pledge not to enforce bans on health care procedures for transgender people and a lax approach to prosecuting accused criminals.
Warren is challenging the order, claiming it violated his First Amendment rights to free speech and that DeSantis doesn’t have the authority to suspend him over mere policy disagreements.
As he did during the Scott Israel case, Simpson has cautioned Senators not to speak publicly or issue opinions on the case, since they’ll have to sit as de facto jury members if it comes to a Senate trial. He reiterated that caution in his memo.
“As I have said previously, given our constitutional role in this process, I believe Senators should refrain from speaking publicly about the merits or substance of any executive suspension,” Simpson wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this important constitutional responsibility of the Senate.”
16 comments
Joe Corsin
August 18, 2022 at 11:09 am
He suspended the man because of something he said and not because of something he did or did not do. Where is evidence that he wasn’t upholding the law and where is the damage done to society? DeSantis is swinging his right wing ding dong around again.🌭
Paul Passarelli
August 18, 2022 at 11:49 am
When a prosecutor makes a ‘statement with intent’ that is an action.
But I don’t expect Democrats to actually understand the real meaning of words.
Any other proclamations of anti-wisdom, Joe?
Joe Corsin
August 18, 2022 at 12:48 pm
^ Here goes this abominable narcissist labeling people “dumb democrats.” Now 🍝Pastarelli🍝 will tell us all what political party we endorse or belong to even if it’s not true. This will save everyone the time! A “statement with intent” isn’t an action. An action is something that produces a result. Where are the law violations that have resulted in the man’s speech?
Paul Passarelli
August 18, 2022 at 3:39 pm
Democrats are stupid. You keep proving it, Joe.
Here’s the think..As a prosecutor, he is both an officer of the court, and a sworn public official. That means he has a job to do, and he doesn’t get to claim that his 1A rights were violated. Because the statements he made were in his official capacity role.
If he had made the statements such that he indicated that is is with deep regret I will have to uphold this new statute that I personally & morally disagree with… Then he’d have a 1A violation case — but that’s not what he did or said.
He was insubordinate, and that’s simply not protected speech — OK, OK,it is protected speech, but it is not a a statement that protects him from discipline by his superiors. He cannot be jailed or fined or even silenced, those would all be 1A violations. But terminated from his government job? Yup.
Hey Joe, aren’t the Democrats the ones that said speech is violence? I mean really. You guys and your double standards are just making the real contest too easy. Sure, the Left often scores first with the cheap shot. Just like the bully landing a sucker punch. But in the end it’s the last man standing that takes home the prize.
But you should be happy, most Republicans won’t kick you when you’re down, and believe me, in the end, the Left is going down.
Oh, and Joe, the last name is Passarelli, you uncultured troll.
PeterH
August 18, 2022 at 11:17 am
It’s kind of fun watching the QAnon dynamic duo Trump and DeSantis get bogged down in endless lawsuits.
Trump has to hire unqualified lawyers and pay for their services….. in the case of DeSantis’s legal problems THE FLORIDA TAXPAYER PICKS UP THE TAB.
Republicans are America’s problem. Vote Republicans out of office.
Paul Passarelli
August 18, 2022 at 11:47 am
I hope the court kicks this back, without prejudice, based solely on the basis that an appeal process to the suspension in the Senate is clearly defined by statute.
Warren is wasting the court’s time.
Elliott Offen
August 18, 2022 at 12:52 pm
Frivolous litigation filed by Trump and his clowns during the 2016 election was wasting the courts time. This is a legit case…no matter how many neo nazis disagree.
Elliott Offen
August 18, 2022 at 12:53 pm
* Typo: Frivolous litigation during the 2020 election.
L G. Swift
August 18, 2022 at 12:44 pm
An evil man. Burn in hell De Santis.
Tim B
August 18, 2022 at 2:02 pm
I hope kicks him in the balls so hard that Deathsantis can taste them!
Paul Passarelli
August 18, 2022 at 3:46 pm
Frivolous? Realll? Trump was under false attack backed up by the power of the Federal Government.
You people (Democrats) really disgust me.
There are DEmocrats that rightfully deserve to be perp-walked into the courthouse, then than hanged on the steps after their convictions. There are even some that are dead that deserve to be dug up and hanged.
Elliott Offen
August 18, 2022 at 3:58 pm
The only people Trump was under attack from was VOTERS…WHO VOTED HIS FAT ASS OUTTA THERE BUDDY!! And he didn’t want leave the Whitehouse because he is a delusional narcissist who doesn’t believe anyone on earth is better than him much less does he believe in democracy. And your conspiracy theories are warped. I thought I was talking to someone with mistaken beliefs but who was rational and logical. I was mistaken…and judging by your last statement you are also a psychopath.
Paul Passarelli
August 18, 2022 at 4:52 pm
So much for reading comprehension. But what’s aastonishing is that you cant’s even comprehend what you wrote yourself. Unless you’re really just a Soros worker using a fake account.
In case you forgot Trump *WON* in 2016 (and 2020), but the Democrats cheating efforts were unsuccessful the first time.
And again, thank you for proving exactly how stupid & angry the Democrats are, and how unhinged they can become when confronted with facts.
Elliott Offen
August 18, 2022 at 5:41 pm
^ Conspiracy theorist and liar. Put a label on this guy to warn children that they could be damaged by this man’s nonsense, chicanery, and lies.
Curtis
August 19, 2022 at 11:36 am
Take it easy on Elliot, he is the first one I have seen to admit they voted for the schizophrenic idiot currently in the Whitehouse who is destroying our country and causing inflation to grow so rapidly. Gas prices to go to the roof which in turn is causing everything else to be priced out of reach of most of us. Really considering moving to independent, both parties are destroying our country.
Paul Passarelli
August 19, 2022 at 12:01 pm
Hey Curtis,
I don’t know you, but Elliot is a troll, and I know of only two ways to deal with of trolls. I switch between the two as my mood allows.
1) Don’t feed them.
2) Force feed them the poison that comes out of their mouths & asses.
In the three weeks since I returned to the site, I’ve discovered two trolls that think Florida Politics is their bridge to encrust with shit. And a few more that trudge past ankle deep in the muck.
Comments are closed.