Ousted Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren is asking a federal court to expedite a decision abut whether he should be allowed to return to his position.
The motion with the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta comes half a year after an appeals court ruled that U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle - who is overseeing the case - has the power to reinstate Warren.
It states in part: "For nearly six months, a single judge of this Court has withheld issuance of the mandate in a case that has been expedited at every stage—from discovery to appeal—and that will determine whether the votes of hundreds of thousands of Floridians actually matter. Every day that passes in this posture is one in which the results of a free and fair election are denied."
Warren issued a statement, saying: “As the filing says, there is no legitimate reason for this delay. Crime has gone way up in my absence, and this delay not only denies us all justice but undermines the safety of our community with every passing day.”
Gov. DeSantis suspended Warren in 2022 after he pledged not to prosecute new state laws on abortion and transgender health care. He then appointed Judge Suzy Lopez as acting state attorney.
The governor's office said after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court ruling in favor of Warren that it sets a “dangerous precedent” that could permit politically motivated prosecutors to ignore laws they oppose.
Attorneys for the governor had asked for a rehearing by a full panel of judges.
Both Lopez and Warren are running for election to the post in November.
Warren will face Tampa lawyer Elizabeth Martinez Strauss in the Democratic primary in August. Lopez, a Republican, is unopposed.
