Judge Declines to Reinstate Soros-Backed Prosecutor Fired by Gov. DeSantis

US District Judge Robert L. Hinkle ruled on Monday not to strike down Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘ decision to suspend a state attorney who vowed to not prosecute crimes related to abortion or medicalized gender transition, reports Forbes.

For the time being, the Soros-backed Andrew Warren will not be reinstated while the prosecutor’s case challenging DeSantis’ firing continues onward.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that the ousted Hillsborough County attorney favors a trial over immediately reinstating Warren. Warren sued DeSantis after being suspended by the governor in August and replacing him with his own appointee after he accused Warren of “spitting in the face of voters” and of “neglect of duty” after he signed a statement saying that he would not prosecute crimes related to medicalized gender transition surgeries and abortion.

DeSantis said that Warren was “defy[ing] the Florida legislature” with his actions. Warren has alleged that DeSantis overstepped his authority by suspending him since his position is not appointed by the governor, also claiming that DeSantis is violating his First Amendment rights and “silence[d] his critics, promote[d] his loyalists, and subvert[ed] the will of the voters.”

Judge Hinkle will instead have the issue settled “once and for all” in court rather than reinstating Warren. Florida Politics reports that the judge “didn’t appear convinced” by DeSantis’ case, meaning Warren could still have a chance at being reinstated in court.

“The public isn’t served by yo-yoing this office,” Hinkle said. He added that public interest in the case will see it prioritized, meaning a case will likely come sooner rather than later.

After the firing, the Florida governor’s office told The Post Millennial, “It’s not surprising Warren, who was suspended for refusing to follow the law, would file a legally baseless lawsuit challenging his suspension. We look forward to responding in court.”

The order of termination issued by DeSantis’ office this month cited Warren’s “erroneous understanding of his duties” which “recently culminated in his public declaration that he would not enforce criminal laws enacted by the Florida Legislature that prohibit providers from performing certain abortions to protect the lives of unborn children.”

“The Florida Constitution sets very limited parameters under which a governor can suspend an elected official and what’s happening here is, he’s trying to overturn a free and fair election,” Warren told CNN, alleging that because he’d won two elections it DeSantis was “throw[ing] out the votes of hundreds of thousands of Floridians by firing him.