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A Florida judge has ruled that Governor Ron DeSantis will not have to appear in person in the case brought by a prosecutor he fired for failing to enforce abortion-related Florida law and who DeSantis himself said was backed by George Soros.
The prosecutor, Andrew Warren, was suspended by DeSantis in August after he declared that he would not enforce the State of Florida’s 15-week abortion ban, read the report here.
Warren then sued the governor and the state claiming his free speech rights were violated.
Documents filed before the upcoming trial allegedly showed that the governor’s administration planned the media coverage of the suspension in bad faith.
A memo by a former DeSantis administration legal staffer outlined some of the “benefits” and “drawbacks” that a series of decisions, such as suspending Warren or letting him remain in office, would affect the Florida current administration in front of the public opinion.
The memo also suggested that the prosecutor’s “profile” could be raised if there was a political fight over the suspension, citing phrases such as: “Left-wing prosecutor is removed from a position of power.” according to a report by Politico
Back in September, US District Judge Robert L. Hinkle refused to reinstate Andrew Warren while his lawsuit against the Florida governor continued, The Associated Press reported.
The current lawsuit calls for Warren to be reinstated and for Governor DeSantis to be barred from taking similar action against him in the future.
In one of the statements surrounding the process, the prosecutor stated: “We look forward to a trial where the governor can come in and explain to the court why he thinks what he did is in compliance with federal law and state law,” On the other hand, the The prosecutor’s defense attorney stated: “The judge is clearly and rightfully so interested in what the governor would say in a judicial forum and the trial would be that opportunity,”
A pending issue before trial was whether DeSantis or James Uthmeier, the governor’s chief of staff, would have to appear before the court. Warren’s attorneys argued that they may need to call the governor to fully explain why he made the decision to suspend the prosecutor. Lawyers representing DeSantis responded that his testimony was not necessary and that there was plenty of evidence available to explain the governor’s motivations.
During a pre-trial conference by phone, Hinkle agreed to shield DeSantis from testifying in the case.
Warren’s legal team said there was a possibility of calling the governor back to testify based on defense arguments presented by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s legal team.
But Hinkle replied: “I think it’s very unlikely the situation would change.”
DeSantis’ legal team also stated:
“The governor reasonably construed Mr. Warren’s statements to be either blanket refusals to enforce Florida law or evidence that Mr. Warren was grossly ignorant of his official responsibilities.”
Independent Writer. Marketing and communications strategist for politicians, artists, public figures & corporate brands for more than 10 years. Contact: @alejandrosbasso (Twitter)
Escritor independiente. Consultor en marketing y comunicaciones de políticos, artistas, figuras públicas y marcas por más de 10 años. Contacto: @alejandrosbasso (Twitter)