For the first time in years, I will walk into a courthouse Monday not as a prosecutor working to keep our community safe. Instead, I will be trying to get back to doing the important work Hillsborough County voters twice elected me to do as state attorney.<\/p>\n Since Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended me without warning or legitimate cause last month and I was escorted out of the State Attorney\u2019s Office in Tampa, I have been fighting to return to work serving all the people of Hillsborough County. The governor is trying to take away my job for doing my job, and he is abusing his authority as he attempts to overturn the will of the voters.<\/p>\n It will be strange to stand in federal court in Tallahassee as plaintiff, not prosecutor. After growing up in Gainesville, I cut my teeth prosecuting street crime in Washington, D.C. For years, I had the privilege of representing the United States, prosecuting major fraud cases all over the country.<\/p>\n After returning to Florida, I chose to run for state attorney because I saw ways to improve our criminal justice system in Hillsborough County and around the state. We have focused on going after the most serious offenders\u2014the violent criminals and repeat offenders who keep me awake at night as a father of two little girls. We also have found innovative ways to invest in safety through rehabilitation and prevention programs, which reduce crime in the long run.<\/p>\n I was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2020 because the people of Hillsborough County share my vision for criminal justice, trust my judgment and have seen our success. Hillsborough\u2019s crime rate is the lowest in the Tampa Bay region. I swore to uphold the Constitution, and that\u2019s exactly what I have done. DeSantis has not cited a single specific example of me violating that oath. He can\u2019t point to any because they don\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n The encouragement I\u2019ve received over the past six weeks has been gratifying. Hundreds have reached out to offer support. They come from across the political spectrum. Some tell me they did not vote for me but recognize this suspension is wrong. Many apologize and say they can\u2019t say anything publicly because they fear angering the governor. I understand.<\/p>\n If DeSantis can arbitrarily suspend an elected official without one shred of evidence they have done anything wrong, how far will he go to punish anyone else who disagrees with him? This abuse of power should shock every business owner, teacher, doctor, public servant \u2014 and every voter.<\/p>\n The governor has argued to the court that he can suspend me because I\u2019m his employee. However, both the governor and the state attorney are independently elected offices enshrined in the Florida Constitution. As state attorney, I do not work for the governor. I work for the people of Hillsborough County. I am accountable to them and under no legal obligation to follow the governor\u2019s views about criminal justice.<\/p>\n Subscribe to our free Stephinitely newsletter<\/p>\n Columnist Stephanie Hayes will share thoughts, feelings and funny business with you every Monday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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