佛罗里达州州长罗恩·德桑蒂斯最近因其州检察官安德鲁·沃伦被停职坦帕湾地区最高检察官沃伦对堕胎和儿童性别转换治疗的立场。
这是州长为11月8日的中期选举做准备的最新举措，并有传言称他将竞选总统。
最近几个月，德桑蒂斯签署了一项立法，对有分歧的文化问题采取强硬立场。今年3月，他签署了被批评者戏称为“家长教育权利法案”“不要说同性恋”法案，该法案禁止从幼儿园到三年级的儿童在学校讨论性取向，或者在其他被认为不合适的课堂环境中讨论性取向。
一个月后，他签署了所谓的停止唤醒行为，停止在学校教授批判性种族理论。
关于州长暂停希尔斯伯勒县两次当选的民主党检察官职务的行政命令，我们应该知道些什么。
关于堕胎、性别确认护理的冲突
律师签字后，德桑蒂斯于8月4日暂停了沃伦的职务两个联合声明，称他将拒绝起诉与堕胎和儿童性别转换治疗相关的罪行。
沃伦称它们为“价值陈述”，但德桑蒂斯说，它们显示出失职和无能。
“我被打了个措手不及，”沃伦在被禁赛后告诉ABC新闻。"在没有任何警告的情况下，我被迫离开了我的办公室[并]被调离了我的民选职位。"
德桑蒂斯在4月签署了一项法律，禁止在佛罗里达州怀孕15周后堕胎。该法律于7月1日生效，比美国最高法院晚了一周推翻罗伊诉韦德案。
在多布斯判决后，沃伦站在全国其他进步检察官一边，签署了一份联合声明，谴责堕胎的刑事化。
沃伦对美国广播公司说:“我是在表达我对侵犯人民宪法权利的立法的反对。”
德桑蒂斯在一份声明中说，“州检察官有责任起诉佛罗里达州法律规定的罪行，而不是根据他的个人议程挑选实施哪些法律。”
沃伦还在2021年6月签署了一份联合声明，谴责起诉为变性青年寻求性别相关医疗的父母和医生。
佛罗里达州目前没有法律将这些治疗定为犯罪，但一些立法者已经推动了一项。
在一个最近的新闻发布会，德桑蒂斯谴责对未成年人性别确认的照顾。该州卫生保健管理局最近通过了一项规定禁止变性居民用医疗补助来支付性别确认医疗。
停职背后的法律
根据佛罗里达州宪法第4条第7款，佛罗里达州州长有权暂停当地官员的职务，如果他们玩忽职守或表现出无能，以及其他标准。
德桑蒂斯说，沃伦拒绝起诉后罗伊堕胎法符合这些标准。
沃伦辩称，他实际上没有提起过任何堕胎诉讼，他说暂停诉讼是出于政治动机。
“这是公然滥用权力，”他告诉美国广播公司新闻，指的是暂停。“他在滥用权力，首先，不是因为我做了什么，而是因为我说了什么。他在滥用权力来推进自己的政治生涯。”
德桑蒂斯的发言人表示，沃伦的言论是不恰当的。
“如果安德鲁·沃伦发表了这样的声明，那么这是他不尊重法律的又一表现。这位发言人告诉美国广播公司新闻，他已经被州长依法停职，在参议院将其免职之前，他可能不再处理第13司法巡回区州检察官办公室的事务。
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference on Aug. 3, 2022 in Rockledge, Fla.
SOPA图片/LightRocket via Getty Images
资深法官、佛罗里达州宪法教授斯科特·斯蒂芬斯(Scott Stephens)表示，这个问题可以归结为，“惩罚[沃伦]是因为他说了什么，而不是因为他做了什么。”
斯蒂芬斯说，沃伦发誓要为他的停职而斗争，他可能会根据第一修正案向法院提起诉讼。
“如果一个普通公民说了些什么，而州长为此惩罚了他，通常这是相当明显的违反美国宪法，”他说。“但是，在公务范围内行事的公职人员的言论自由较少。少了多少?我们会找到答案的。”
沃伦的律师计划在未来几天提交一份动议，对他的停职提出质疑。
德桑蒂斯有一些先例
“州长的论点将会很好，(佛罗里达州)最高法院表示，我们可以关注人们所说的，作为他们在办公室打算采取行动的有效信号，我们可以依赖这一点，”斯蒂芬斯说，他指的是前州长里克·斯科特成功地将案件从当时的检察官阿拉米斯·阿亚拉手中重新分配，阿亚拉说她不会寻求死刑。
斯蒂芬斯指出，沃伦签署的联合声明不具有法律约束力。
“如果(沃伦)去起诉某人，在这种情况下，他们不能拿出那张纸说，‘嘿，你说过你不会这么做的。’当这一天到来时，[沃伦]仍然必须做出决定，是做还是不做，”他说。
佛罗里达州的法律赋予沃伦选择请求佛罗里达州参议院举行听证会的权利。
前布劳沃德县警长斯科特·以色列是面对共和党控制的机构的最后一名官员，此前他因在帕克兰枪击事件中的作用而在2019年被德桑蒂斯停职。
尽管一名听证官员建议恢复伊斯雷尔的职务，但参议院还是投票罢免了他的职务。
What to know about the Florida governor's battle with a state attorney over his suspension
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently raised eyebrows with hissuspension of state attorney Andrew Warren, the top prosecutor in the Tampa Bay area, over Warren's stance on abortion and gender transition treatments for children.
It's the governor's latest move as he gears up for the Nov. 8 midterm election, and a rumored run for president.
In recent months, DeSantis has signed legislation taking strong stances on divisive cultural issues. In March, he signed the Parental Rights in Education Bill, dubbed by critics asthe "Don't Say Gay" bill,which bans the discussion of sexual orientation in schools for children from kindergarten to third grade, or in other classroom settings where it is deemed inappropriate.
A month later, he signed the so-calledStop WOKE Act, to stop the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools.
Here's what to know about the governor's executive order to suspend Hillsborough County's twice-elected Democrat prosecutor.
A clash over abortion, gender affirming care
DeSantis suspended Warren Aug. 4 after the attorney signedonto two joint statements, saying he would refuse to prosecute crimes related to abortion and gender transition treatments for children.
Warren calls them "value statements," but DeSantis says they show neglect of duty and incompetence.
"I was blindsided," Warren told ABC News after his suspension. "Without warning, I was forced out of my office [and] removed from my elected position."
DeSantis signed a law in April that bans abortions in Florida after a 15-week gestation period. The law went into effect on July 1, a week after the U.S. Supreme Courtoverturned Roe v. Wade.
Warren sided with other progressive prosecutors nationwide, following the Dobbs decision, signing a joint statement that denounced the criminalization of abortion.
"I was expressing my opposition to legislation that would violate people's constitutional rights," Warren told ABC.
DeSantis said in a statement, "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."
Warren also signed a joint-statement in June 2021 that condemned prosecuting parents and doctors who seek out gender-related medical treatments for trans youth.
There is currently no law in Florida that criminalizes these treatments, yet some legislators have pushed for one.
In arecent press conference,DeSantis railed against gender-affirming care for minors. The state's Agency for Health Care Administration recently passed a rulebarring transgender residentsfrom using Medicaid to pay for gender-affirming care.
The law behind the suspension
Under Article 4, Section 7 of the Florida Constitution, the governor of Florida has the authority to suspend a local official if they neglect their duty or show incompetence, among other criteria.
DeSantis says Warren's refusal to prosecute the post-Roe abortion law meets these criteria.
Warren, who argues he has not actually litigated a single abortion case, said the suspension was politically motivated.
"This is a flagrant abuse of power," he told ABC News, referring to the suspension. "And he's abusing his power, first of all, not because of anything that I did, but because of what I said. He's abusing his power to further his own political career."
A spokesperson for DeSantis said Warren's comments were inappropriate.
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"If Andrew Warren made such a statement, then it is yet another display of his lack of respect for the law. He has been legally suspended from office by the governor, and may no longer conduct the affairs of the office of the State Attorney of the 13th Judicial Circuit, pending his removal by the senate," the spokesperson told ABC News.
Longtime judge and Florida constitutional law professor Scott Stephens said the issue boils down to, "punishing [Warren] for what he said, not for anything he did."
Stephens said that Warren -- who has vowed to fight his suspension -- will likely take a First Amendment argument to court.
"If a private citizen says something and a governor punishes him for it, typically it's a pretty obvious violation of the United States constitution," he said. "But a public official acting within the scope of his official duties has less freedom of speech. How much less? We're going to find out."
Lawyers for Warren plan to file a motion challenging his suspension in the coming days.
DeSantis has some precedent on his side
"The governor's argument is going to be well, the (Florida) Supreme Court said that we can pay attention to what people say as being a valid signal of their intended action in office and we can rely on that," Stephens said, referencing former Gov. Rick Scott's successful reassignment of cases away from then prosecutor Aramis Ayala, who said she would not seek death penalties.
Stephens noted the joint-statements Warren signed are not legally binding.
"If [Warren] goes to prosecute somebody, under one of those cases, they can't pull out that paper and say, 'hey, you said you weren't gonna do it.' When the day comes, [Warren] still has to make the decision whether to do it or not do it," he said.
Florida law gives Warren the option to request a hearing by the Florida Senate.
Former Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel was the last official to face the Republican controlled body, following a 2019 DeSantis suspension for his role in the response to the Parkland shooting.
Although a hearing officer recommended that Israel be reinstated, the Senate voted to remove him from his post.
