A U.S. District Court judge will hear arguments Monday on whether suspended Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren should be reinstated.
Warren, along with attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis, will present their cases before Judge Robert Hinkle in Tallahassee.
DeSantis suspended Warren last month, citing Warren's previous comments that he would not enforce any current or potential state laws regarding abortion or transgender health care.
"It is not for him to put himself above that and say that he's not going to enforce the laws," DeSantis said last month when he announced the suspension. "We don't elect people in one part of the state to have veto power over what the entire state decides on these important issues."
Warren filed a lawsuit, claiming DeSantis exceeded his powers and violated Warren's First Amendment right to free speech.
“I’m not going down without a fight," Warren said in a video announcing he would seek legal action. "I’m a former federal prosecutor, the duly elected State Attorney, a native Floridian, and a proud American. I refuse to let this man trample on your freedoms to speak your mind, to make your own healthcare decisions, and to have your vote count.”
The suspension drew a strong response from judges, police chiefs, and legal scholars across the state who filed amicus briefs in support of Warren.
Hinkle could rule on Warren’s request to block the suspension shortly after the hearing, according to a news release.
