Florida Supreme Court rules against former Democratic state attorney ousted by DeSantis

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by Andrew Warren, a state attorney who was ousted by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year, citing an “unreasonable delay” in filing a challenge to the Republican governor’s authority to suspend him.

Warren, a twice-elected Democrat, drew DeSantis’ ire last summer by pledging not to prosecute those who seek or perform abortions or those who provide gender-affirming treatments to transgender people in opposition to state laws backed by DeSantis. The governor then announced he was suspending Warren for “neglect of duty” and “incompetence” as prosecutor for Hillsborough County, home to Tampa.