Gov. Ron DeSantis\u2019 suspension of Andrew Warren<\/a> as state attorney for the 13th Judicial Circuit sent shockwaves throughout Florida, including in Warren’s hometown.<\/p>\n Warren is a Gainesville native<\/a> and Eastside High School graduate. He was first elected as state attorney in Hillsborough County in 2016 and reelected two years ago with more than 53% of the vote. But last week, DeSantis suspended him from office and put a county judge into the job in his place.<\/p>\n While DeSantis claimed that Warren was suspended\u00a0for failing to enforce the law, it was really just another political stunt meant to help the governor get reelected and then run for\u00a0president. DeSantis showed he will go\u00a0so far as to overturn an election\u00a0to achieve his ambitions.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a very dangerous precedent that the governor has set,” Warren said Friday in a conference call with journalists from across Florida. \u201cHe can do this to any elected official who says something he doesn\u2019t like, and that’s not democracy, that is not America.\u201d<\/p>\n Politics are clearly the motive in the Republican governor suspending a Democratic state attorney. Warren signed statements with other prosecutors nationwide saying they would use their discretion in not pursuing criminal cases<\/a> against people seeking or providing abortions, or for violating laws that criminalize health care for transgender people, but his office has not\u00a0even received any cases on these issues.<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s be clear: This is not about what I\u2019ve done. This is about what I\u2019ve said,\u201d Warren said, noting that a judge held Florida\u2019s 15-week abortion ban\u00a0unconstitutional\u00a0and the state hasn\u2019t even passed a law regarding transgender care.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is Orwellian thought police: I\u2019m being punished for not enforcing a law that doesn\u2019t even exist,” Warren said.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Rod Smith, former state attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit<\/a> that includes Alachua County, also views the precedent set by DeSantis as dangerous. Smith said the governor should only suspend an elected official for doing something illegal or unethical, not just for something the official said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a slippery slope we can never get off of,\u201d said Smith, who was also\u00a0a state senator and\u00a0Florida Democratic Party chairman.<\/p>\n But the current state attorney for the Eighth Judicial Circuit, Brian Kramer, said the governor\u2019s move does not affect him due to the way he pursues cases. Kramer, a Republican, wrote in an email that he enforces the law as written by the Legislature and interpreted by the courts.<\/p>\n \u201cI review each case on its own merits to determine if I can and should prosecute any criminal offense,” Kramer wrote. \u201cMy primary obligation is to prosecute cases and hold people accountable for their actions. To do otherwise would violate my oath of office.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n Warren said he considers it his First Amendment right, and his duty, to speak out about legislative matters affecting the criminal justice system. His tenure as state attorney included support for criminal justice reforms and establishing\u00a0a conviction integrity unit,<\/a> which freed a man who spent 37 years in prison for crimes he didn’t commit\u00a0while also identifying the real culprits.<\/p>\n More from Nathan Crabbe:<\/strong><\/p>\n Local groups need to work together to help Gainesville thrive<\/a><\/p>\n Fight back against groups banning books in Florida, read challenged titles<\/a><\/p>\n\n Don’t ignore the 16,000 Gainesville households who struggle to afford housing<\/a><\/p>\n Warren\u2019s father, Mike, said he was \u201castonished\u201d to learn what happened to his son. Mike Warren is president of the Gainesville-based AMJ Group, a real estate development firm with projects that include\u00a0the new Hyatt Place hotel<\/a> downtown. He was attending a Gainesville City Commission discussion of downtown plans when he received the news.<\/p>\n Mike Warren said his son developed a strong sense of justice at a young age, declaring he wanted to be a prosecutor after hearing about a local real estate fraud case. He said that he\u2019s \u201cvery proud” his son is fighting the governor\u2019s move, which must be reviewed by Florida Senate and might also end up in court.<\/p>\n He said the Ivy League-educated DeSantis is clearly smart, but he worries about the morals he showed in suspending his son from office.<\/p>\n \u201cSmart people without a moral compass scare me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Nathan Crabbe is The Sun’s opinion and engagement editor. Follow him on social media at twitter.com\/nathancrabbe<\/a> and facebook.com\/nathancrabbe<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Share your opinions by sending a letter to the editor (up to 200 words) to letters@gainesville.com<\/a>. Letters must include the writer’s full name and city of residence. Additional guidelines for submitting letters and longer guest columns can be found at bit.ly\/sunopinionguidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get a digital subscription to the Gainesville Sun. Includes must-see content on Gainesville.com and Gatorsports.com, breaking news and updates on all your devices, and access to the eEdition. Visit www.gainesville.com\/subscribenow<\/a> to sign up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Hillsborough](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/08\/08\/NTGS\/cfb44924-52df-4ecc-9210-b195b3a184fd-AP20167633362807.jpg?width=300&height=200&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Florida](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/08\/08\/NTGS\/30a642c4-db17-463c-ba31-9666fda36840-AP22216584167970.jpg?width=300&height=200&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
<\/figure>\n![\"Rod](\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2022\/08\/08\/NTGS\/2a2faafe-c185-4784-b91e-94b69dcc8a83-GVDEMOCRATS100112_16980430.JPG?width=300&height=244&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp\")
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