A.G. Gancarski
Attorney General James Uthmeier may be Florida’s top cop. But he’s also willing to risk lockup to protect the state’s prerogatives in fighting illegal immigration.
“I am not going to sign this letter to law enforcement telling them to stand down on a law when they’re not a party to the case,” he said to podcaster Josh Hammer.
“And the Judge, if she wants to lock me up in jail, I’m willing to take that. I’m not going to cave and renege on my oath to uphold and defend our state constitution and laws.”
The Judge in question is the Barack Obama-appointed U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams. She is considering holding Uthmeier, who was recently appointed AG by Gov. Ron DeSantis, in contempt of court.
At issue is Senate Bill 4C, which proscribes penalties for illegal entry and illegal reentry, mandates imprisonment for being in Florida illegally, and capital punishment for any such undocumented immigrant who commits capital crimes.
Uthmeier’s position is that he lacks standing to tell law enforcement to stand down in invoking the law against people suspected of being in the country illegally.
“The Judge in Miami … wants to hold me in contempt because I said I would not … order law enforcement to stand down on our immigration laws. And it’s because none of these law enforcement agencies she wanted me to direct are even parties to the case,” he said.
During the interview first publicized Thursday, Uthmeier expressed hope that his stand would be a model for others “pushing back … and fighting against these Judges that really act like radical legislators,” and would lead Judges to stand down.
“It’s going to take leaders across the country saying, ‘You don’t have the authority to do what you’re doing. And, you know, I don’t care what you do to me. At the end of the day, the Constitution and my principles are more important,'” he told Hammer.
“And I think as you start to question the authority, you’ll have Judges, hopefully the Supreme Court (as) we’ve already seen some adjustment to preserve their own credibility, start to adjust and change their ways.”
10 comments
Andy
June 5, 2025 at 9:36 am
Let’s ’HOPE’ you are willing to go to jail for Medicaid fraud as a servant? Maybe we can ship the guilty ones to Venezuela?
Larry Gillis, Director-at-Large, Libertarian Party of Florida
June 5, 2025 at 9:45 am
BEWARE CIVIL CONTEMPT
If the judge finds him in “civil contempt”, the Presidential power to pardon may well not be available. Maybe someone can explain the legal dimensions of this arcane corner of the law.
Larry Gillis, Director-at-Large, Libertarian Party of Florida
June 5, 2025 at 3:12 pm
Maybe he’ll just be reported to the Professional Conduct Committee. I’ve seen judges do that in New Hampshire. It’s a judicial form of “load-shifting”, getting someone else to do the dirty work.
In fact, wasn’t that just done to Pam Bondi (with two former Justices among the signatories), based on her current work as US Attorney General? (For that matter, President Nixon was reported to the NYC Bar, if I remember correctly).
Ask me if I am glad to be retired …
Paul Passarelli
June 5, 2025 at 9:47 am
Senate Bill 4C looks like a good law. It provides *EQUAL JUSTICE* for people who commit crimes. And it has *ZERO* deleterious effects on law abiding individuals.
The crazies will argue that because it makes conditions of pretrial actions, it is denying the ‘innocent until proven guilty’, but that is factually incorrect. If a person is in the country illegally, than their presence is fact and proof of their guilt with regard to that specific charge & accusation. In theory they could still appeal it from prison, but the fact of their presence would be proof beyond a reasonable doubt, causing that appeal to fail prime facie.
Paul S.B.
June 5, 2025 at 11:34 am
This is now how the rule of law works. Courts DO HAVE THE POWER to declare laws unconstitutional. Separation of Powers. It i fundamental. Glad our AG does not believe in the founding principals of our republic and our state.
Michael K
June 5, 2025 at 1:02 pm
More performative posturing. The AG should be following the law if he were truly concerned about setting an example. Then again, it might be good for him to spend a few weeks in jail.
MH/Duuuval
June 5, 2025 at 1:52 pm
But not just any jail, a jail without AC.
Ex-GOP
June 6, 2025 at 7:17 am
This Tallahassee hack is headed for
Prison one way or another. It’s either contempt of court or money-laundering $10 million that belonged to the taxpayers so he could keep marijuana arrests going.
Larry Gillis, Director--at-Large, Libertarian Party of Florida
June 6, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Did you say anything worthwhile? I mean, I saw your lips moving, but I didn’t hear anything. (Stop wasting my time).
Wendy
June 6, 2025 at 9:49 pm
Funny all of you hyperventilating leftists didn’t say a word when disgraced former president Obama decided which laws he would and wouldn’t enforce. Keep doubling down stupid. The left is ideologically bankrupt, intellectually stunted and morally corrupt.