DeSantis Suspends Hillsborough State Attorney For 'Neglect Of Duty'

FLORIDA — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Thursday that he has suspended Democratic State Attorney Andrew Warren of the 13th Judicial Circuit due to "neglect of duty." The governor has accused Warren of failing to enforce certain Florida laws, including those regarding abortion.

"Our government is a government of laws and not a government of men," DeSantis said during a news conference at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

"Most recently, after the Dobbs decision was rendered by the U.S. Supreme Court, he signed a letter saying that he would not enforce any laws protecting the right to life in the State of Florida. Mind you, we have had prohibition of third-trimester abortion for a long time. We've had prohibition on partial-birth abortions."

The governor has the authority to suspend a state officer under Article IV, Section 7 of the Constitution of the State of Florida.

DeSantis said he has appointed Susan Lopez to serve as State Attorney for the period of suspension. She has most recently been serving as a Judge on the Hillsborough County Court.

To view the order suspending Andrew Warren and appointing Susan Lopez, click here.

“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,” DeSantis said in a news 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.”

After DeSantis announced his suspension, Warren issued the following statement:

Today’s political stunt is an illegal overreach that continues a dangerous pattern by Ron DeSantis of using his office to further his own political ambition. It spits in the face of the voters of Hillsborough County who have twice elected me to serve them, not Ron DeSantis.

In our community, crime is low, our Constitutional rights—including the right to privacy—are being upheld & the people have the right to elect their own leaders—not have them dictated by an aspiring presidential candidate who has shown time & again he feels accountable to no one.

Just because the governor violates your rights, it doesn’t mean they don’t exist.

In July, the state's new 15-week abortion ban was reinstated after it was temporarily blocked by a judge.

The Reducing Fetal and Infant Mortality bill was passed by the state legislature earlier this year and signed into law by DeSantis in April. The law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy and threatens to put doctors in jail for providing them after the first trimester. It also doesn't grant exemptions for the victims of rape, incest or human trafficking.

The American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Florida, Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the law firm Jenner & Block filed a lawsuit against the state to block the strict abortion law on behalf of several medical facilities that offer abortion services.

“I have the utmost respect for our state laws and I understand the important role that the State Attorney plays in ensuring the safety of our community and the enforcement of our laws,” said Susan Lopez, State Attorney of the 13th Judicial Circuit. “I want to thank the Governor for placing his trust in me, and I promise that I will faithfully execute the duties of this office.”

Lopez was appointed by DeSantis to serve as a judge on the Hillsborough County Court in 2021.

VIDEO: DeSantis Announces Suspension of Andrew Warren

She previously served as assistant state attorney of the 13th Judicial Circuit for more than 15 years and as Staff Attorney of the Second District Court of Appeal.

She received her bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College and her law degree from Suffolk University. She is a long-time resident of Tampa and has been involved in the Hillsborough community through a variety of organizations for many years.