TAMPA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Aug. 4 that he is immediately suspending Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren for "picking and choosing" the types of laws he enforced.
The previous story is below.
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Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren issued a joint statement with prosecutors nationwide declining to go after people "who seek, provide, or support abortions" following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The prosecutors who signed on to the letter from the organization Fair and Just Prosecution say that while they all don't agree on abortion, "we stand together in our firm belief that prosecutors have a responsibility to refrain from using limited criminal legal system resources to criminalize personal medical decisions."
It's to this end that their offices' resources will not be used to "criminalize reproductive health decisions."
Friday morning, the court's conservative majority overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that provided federal protections to receive an abortion. Abortion access now is a state issue, with levels of access varying nationwide. Several states had so-called abortion "trigger laws" on the books, which immediately makes abortion illegal with the justices' majority decision.
Florida has already taken steps to limit abortions. In April, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill restricting most abortions after 15 weeks unless the woman's life is endangered. It does not have exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking. That law takes effect July 1.
Other abortion restrictions already exist in Florida. Most abortions are already banned after 24 weeks of gestation.
Following a seven-year legal battle, a Florida judge recently approved a 24-hour waiting period for abortions that are within the parameters outlined in state law.
Warren appears to be the only prosecutor in the state of Florida who signed on to the letter. His office covers all of Hillsborough County, including the city of Tampa.
Read the letter in full below: