Based Ron DeSantis Removes Woke Florida Prosecutor

[Fuzzy Bear]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Good that he is gone but I would rather this prosecutor be removed via impeachment than this way.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Good that he is gone but I would rather this prosecutor be removed via impeachment than this way.

Florida Law grants a Governor significant powers to remove public officials in this manner.  Whatever one thinks of it, this will probably stand up in court. 

A few years ago Rick Scott took a case of an accused cop-killer out of the hands of Orlando's State Attorney Aramis Ayala (a Woke Prosecutor who was heavily funded by Soros PACs) and turned the Prosecution to the Marion County (Ocala) State Attorney because Ayala publicly stated that she would not seek the Death Penalty.  I will say that I was personally conflicted; Rick Scott is awful and I'm a Death Penalty opponent.  But Ayala's refusal was not a blanket refusal, whereas this guy Warren has said he won't prosecute whole categories of crimes.  So I'll give a thumbs up to DeSantis and wait for what the Courts have to say on this.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

Literally wtf, arguing that opposing Anti-Trans discrimination is a reason to support Anti-Trans discrimination and limiting a women's access to Reproductive Healthcare.

Yeah, that's gonna be a big fat no from me Fuzzy.

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

Literally wtf, arguing that opposing Anti-Trans discrimination is a reason to support Anti-Trans discrimination and limiting a women's access to Reproductive Healthcare.

Yeah, that's gonna be a big fat no from me Fuzzy.

A job of a prosecutor is supposed to be to enforce the laws passed by the elected representatives and not choose which laws they would like to enforce based on politics . Now if they feel a law is unconstitutional then they should sue To get the law struck down in the courts rather than take the law in their own hands .


So it was a justified firing

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

Literally wtf, arguing that opposing Anti-Trans discrimination is a reason to support Anti-Trans discrimination and limiting a women's access to Reproductive Healthcare.

Yeah, that's gonna be a big fat no from me Fuzzy.

A job of a prosecutor is supposed to be to enforce the laws passed by the elected representatives and not choose which laws they would like to enforce based on politics . Now if they feel a law is unconstitutional then they should sue To get the law struck down in the courts rather than take the law in their own hands .


So it was a justified firing

The law of a prosecutor is going to grow increasingly murky in this authoritarian free-for-all the GOP wants to drag our country into. My own opinion is that prosecutors of good character and who believe in using their offices for the public good will continue to stand up for marginalized groups and their civil liberties, period.

[Fuzzy Bear]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

Literally wtf, arguing that opposing Anti-Trans discrimination is a reason to support Anti-Trans discrimination and limiting a women's access to Reproductive Healthcare.

Yeah, that's gonna be a big fat no from me Fuzzy.

One person's anti-trans discrimination is another person's parental rights.

I side with parents as the best arbiters of a child's interests.  While there are certainly parents who are not the best arbiters, the price of the law not operating from that premise is the destruction of the family as the organizing unit of our society, and that would be catastrophic beyond description.

[OSR stands with Israel]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

Literally wtf, arguing that opposing Anti-Trans discrimination is a reason to support Anti-Trans discrimination and limiting a women's access to Reproductive Healthcare.

Yeah, that's gonna be a big fat no from me Fuzzy.

A job of a prosecutor is supposed to be to enforce the laws passed by the elected representatives and not choose which laws they would like to enforce based on politics . Now if they feel a law is unconstitutional then they should sue To get the law struck down in the courts rather than take the law in their own hands .


So it was a justified firing

The law of a prosecutor is going to grow increasingly murky in this authoritarian free-for-all the GOP wants to drag our country into. My own opinion is that prosecutors of good character and who believe in using their offices for the public good will continue to stand up for marginalized groups and their civil liberties, period.

No that is not the job of prosecutors and anyway if you want to do that there are literally smarter ways than literally saying you won’t enforce the law . You can for example just recommend the minimum punishment for the charge and make extremely generous plea offers but no he instead decided to outright say he won’t enforce the law .


So yes prosecutors like that should 100% be fired

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Only in America is a public prosecutor's office considered an appropriate bully pulpit from which to crusade against unjust laws in the first place. People with these instincts in other countries instead become "RUMPOLE ONLY DEFENDS"-style career defense counsel or else try to get elected to legislative, not executive, office themselves so that they can change the laws they don't like rather than selectively enforce or not enforce them. I don't agree with Fuzzy on almost anything related to Ron DeSantis or his governing style, but as someone who believes in a firm state-government distinction I'm not going to shed many tears for a prosecutor fired in these circumstances either.

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

Only in America is a public prosecutor's office considered an appropriate bully pulpit from which to crusade against unjust laws in the first place. People with these instincts in other countries instead become "RUMPOLE ONLY DEFENDS"-style career defense counsel or else try to get elected to legislative, not executive, office themselves so that they can change the laws they don't like rather than selectively enforce or not enforce them. I don't agree with Fuzzy on almost anything related to Ron DeSantis or his governing style, but as someone who believes in a firm state-government distinction I'm not going to shed many tears for a prosecutor fired in these circumstances either.

I really couldn't disagree more. So when Lawrence is overturned after certain elements in the Conservative movement get their wish a'la Roe I should be perfectly content when prosecutors in Texas start to come after me for being in a homosexual relationship? Or prosecutors enforcing possible laws banning contraceptives and criminalizing behaviors between committed couples in the privacy of their own homes?

Maybe you're right when you say these people should just become representatives, - fine, I support that. But no one has an excuse to say 'oh, it's my duty' when it comes to degrading our civil liberties and actively harming the well being and lives of their fellow citizens with socially repressive laws and measures. That's my stance at least.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Is this an elected position?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Only in America is a public prosecutor's office considered an appropriate bully pulpit from which to crusade against unjust laws in the first place. People with these instincts in other countries instead become "RUMPOLE ONLY DEFENDS"-style career defense counsel or else try to get elected to legislative, not executive, office themselves so that they can change the laws they don't like rather than selectively enforce or not enforce them. I don't agree with Fuzzy on almost anything related to Ron DeSantis or his governing style, but as someone who believes in a firm state-government distinction I'm not going to shed many tears for a prosecutor fired in these circumstances either.

I really couldn't disagree more. So when Lawrence is overturned after certain elements in the Conservative movement get their wish a'la Roe I should be perfectly content when prosecutors in Texas start to come after me for being in a homosexual relationship? Or prosecutors enforcing possible laws banning contraceptives and criminalizing behaviors between committed couples in the privacy of their own homes?

Maybe you're right when you say these people should just become representatives, - fine, I support that. But no one has an excuse to say 'oh, it's my duty' when it comes to degrading our civil liberties and actively harming the well being and lives of their fellow citizens with socially repressive laws and measures. That's my stance at least.

I think American leftists in general would benefit from thinking of prosecutors more along the lines of how we think of cops--these are people whose role in society is fundamentally adversarial to many of the types of human flourishing or human freedom that we want to see. Sometimes we have to interact with them as the lesser evil, but when we do, it's seldom if ever actually a GOOD thing. So no, you shouldn't be content with that at all, because you shouldn't be content with the state's approach to its punitive functions in general.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Prosecutors are arguably worse than cops on average. At least the latter aren’t a Noble College-Educated Profession (TM).

[Benjamin Frank]

The level of ignorance here is very disappointing. It certainly shows a need to improve civics education in the United States.

The resources for the police, prosecutors and judges are simply not enough to enforce every crime committed.  If there were no scarce resources, there would be police officers on every street making sure that nobody jaywalked.

So, the issue becomes one of who decides what to enforce, or one of prosecutorial discretion.  

In most places here in Canada, there is a police board chaired by the mayor and various appointed civilians that works in concert with the police and the prosecutors to decide what laws to focus on.

In the United States, this discretion mostly seems to be placed with the elected offices. In Florida, that is the county sheriff along with the state's attorney. (The state's attorney is an elected position and in called in most states either the district attorney or the county prosecutor.) Obviously it's best when the county sheriff and the district attorney work together.

Although a mandate and not a law, this really is no different than when the Los Angeles County Sheriff told his officers to not enforce mask mandates. While this county sheriff did not say 'I oppose mask mandates, so I refuse to enforce them', but instead said 'this is too low a priority for the officers available', the point is the same: some authority has to have discretion to decide what laws to focus on enforcing in their jurisdiction.

What this really is from DeathSantis is an attack on local governments. Hopefully the people in this county will resent having their local control taken away from them and help vote out this authoritarian fascist.

[OSR stands with Israel]

The level of ignorance here is very disappointing. It certainly shows a need to improve civics education in the United States.

The resources for the police, prosecutors and judges are simply not enough to enforce every crime committed.  If there were no scarce resources, there would be police officers on every street making sure that nobody jaywalked.

So, the issue becomes one of who decides what to enforce, or one of prosecutorial discretion.  

In most places here in Canada, there is a police board chaired by the mayor and various appointed civilians that works in concert with the police and the prosecutors to decide what laws to focus on.

In the United States, this discretion mostly seems to be placed with the elected offices. In Florida, that is the county sheriff along with the state's attorney. (The state's attorney is an elected position and in called in most states either the district attorney or the county prosecutor.) Obviously it's best when the county sheriff and the district attorney work together.

Although a mandate and not a law, this really is no different than when the Los Angeles County Sheriff told his officers to not enforce mask mandates. While this county sheriff did not say 'I oppose mask mandates, so I refuse to enforce them', but instead said 'this is too low a priority for the officers available', the point is the same: some authority has to have discretion to decide what laws to focus on enforcing in their jurisdiction.

What this really is from DeathSantis is an attack on local governments. Hopefully the people in this county will resent having their local control taken away from them and help vote out this authoritarian fascist.

1. There is a difference between not prosecuting some cases due to time constraints  which then forces you to prioritize which ones you will prosecute vs which ones you dont. You better have receipts proving you didnt have the time to prosecute the other ones as well

2. Most Mask Mandates were implemented by executive orders and executive agencies and not legislation


So yes if Andrew Warren was smart he probably could have not really enforced this thanks to point number 1 but that point is very different then I will not enforce the law due to my own political beliefs.

[Benjamin Frank]

The level of ignorance here is very disappointing. It certainly shows a need to improve civics education in the United States.

The resources for the police, prosecutors and judges are simply not enough to enforce every crime committed.  If there were no scarce resources, there would be police officers on every street making sure that nobody jaywalked.

So, the issue becomes one of who decides what to enforce, or one of prosecutorial discretion.  

In most places here in Canada, there is a police board chaired by the mayor and various appointed civilians that works in concert with the police and the prosecutors to decide what laws to focus on.

In the United States, this discretion mostly seems to be placed with the elected offices. In Florida, that is the county sheriff along with the state's attorney. (The state's attorney is an elected position and in called in most states either the district attorney or the county prosecutor.) Obviously it's best when the county sheriff and the district attorney work together.

Although a mandate and not a law, this really is no different than when the Los Angeles County Sheriff told his officers to not enforce mask mandates. While this county sheriff did not say 'I oppose mask mandates, so I refuse to enforce them', but instead said 'this is too low a priority for the officers available', the point is the same: some authority has to have discretion to decide what laws to focus on enforcing in their jurisdiction.

What this really is from DeathSantis is an attack on local governments. Hopefully the people in this county will resent having their local control taken away from them and help vote out this authoritarian fascist.

1. There is a difference between not prosecuting some cases due to time constraints  which then forces you to prioritize which ones you will prosecute vs which ones you dont. You better have receipts proving you didnt have the time to prosecute the other ones as well

2. Most Mask Mandates were implemented by executive orders and executive agencies and not legislation


So yes if Andrew Warren was smart he probably could have not really enforced this thanks to point number 1 but that point is very different then I will not enforce the law due to my own political beliefs.

1.Every jurisdiction faces this issue and has to prioritize the type of cases to focus on. Have you ever got a ticket for jaywalking?  "better have the receipts"? That's absurd. Do you think the police and prosecutors are just sitting on their asses since if they don't enforce abortion laws? Most police are already overburdened with harrassing minorities and poor people. Just kidding.

2.When a district attorney is elected, the people of the county don't vote for an automaton, they vote for somebody to use their discretion in deciding what to prosecute (even if many of them mistakenly think that every law is enforced, most district attorneys get elected stating what laws they want to focus on enforcing.) If the people of this county disagree with this state's attorney not enforcing abortion laws, the people of the county can vote him out. It's interesting how often right wingers otherwise argue:

A.the will of the voters should not be overturned except by the electorate.
B.the best governments are local governments because they are closest to the people.

If DeathSantis doesn't like counties electing local officials, he should submit a law to remove local and county governments and have their duties handled at the state level.

DeFacto, this is already what many 'red states' are doing to their 'blues cities and counties.'

[Hammy]

If you use words like "woke" to describe things you don't like, it is a big flashing light that nothing that follows is in good faith and thus not worth reading.

As the saying goes, can't reason with crazy.

[Person Man]

If you use words like "woke" to describe things you don't like, it is a big flashing light that nothing that follows is in good faith and thus not worth reading.

As the saying goes, can't reason with crazy.

Not all the time, but maybe if they put in the title instead of ironically mentioning it lower could be a huge sign that the OP is more likely than not trying to lie to get something.

[SWE]

Love the very impassioned support for "just following orders" from our blue avatar friends, really classy

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

https://spectator.org/desantis-sacks-non-prosecutor/

Tampa — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done the right thing again. No wonder the media and Democrats (pardon the redundancy) are all over him.

On Thursday morning, DeSantis suspended Hillsborough County (Tampa) State Attorney Andrew Warren, who has pledged not to enforce state laws prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks or laws restricting sex changes for minors. DeSantis appointed county Judge Susan Lopez interim state attorney.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, handing control over abortion laws back to states, 83 prosecutors across the country signed a letter pledging not to prosecute anyone who performs, abets, or seeks an abortion after 15 weeks. Warren, a Democrat who styles himself a “criminal justice reformer,” was the only Florida prosecutor who joined in this pledge to nullify state law. On Thursday, Warren learned that in red Florida state laws are not a judicial cafeteria from which prosecutors may choose what they like and ignore what they don’t like.

Is this right?  Ask yourself if a prosecutor refused to prosecute anti-black hate crimes (to the extent that they refused to seek Hate Crime enhancements) should remain in office.  Or anti-trans hate crimes; what about them?  Prosecutors are to prosecute crime whenever it exists, without passion or prejudice, and a crime is what the law says is a crime.

I love DeSantis more and more because he's not afraid to be controversial to push policies favored by people who voted for him.  And for the rule of law.  Floridians did not agree to suspend the laws Andrew Warren wished to suspend.  So I'm pleased with this.  Leadership, in many instances, is doing it simply because (A) you can and (B) the people who support you expect it.

Republicans love to flaunt their own hypocrisy on topics from personal conduct of their leaders to the role of government in education. And in yet one more example of hypocrisy, they expect everyone else to give their abusive behavior - like that of DeSantis - the same respect they reliably refuse to give others.

Republican oppression and abuse under the color of law is not equivalent to freedom, justice, or good government. Whatever torture Republicans may subject our language to, that they act only in service to their own desires is obvious to everyone who cares to look. The pretense that they participate in good faith at any level of society needs to be rejected, before they drag us all down to destruction.

[Alben Barkley]

Love the very impassioned support for "just following orders" from our blue avatar friends, really classy

Also some maroon avatars, just with bigger words. Horseshoe theory again. Socialists and conservatives alike know that implementing their unpopular agendas will require authoritarian force.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Hopefully, he loses in couple of months there is still a possibility

[Brittain33]

It would be based if DeSantis makes his race a referendum on women’s healthcare and the right to choose. He’s been avoiding it and sticking to safe terrain like queer bashing.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Is this an elected position?

It is, yes, but Florida's Constitution gives the Governor rather broad powers to remove local officials for cause.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

The level of ignorance here is very disappointing. It certainly shows a need to improve civics education in the United States.

The resources for the police, prosecutors and judges are simply not enough to enforce every crime committed.  If there were no scarce resources, there would be police officers on every street making sure that nobody jaywalked.

So, the issue becomes one of who decides what to enforce, or one of prosecutorial discretion. 

This is an excellent point and I'm happy to adjust my view of this kind of situation because of it, so thanks. I suppose the issue is more that American prosecutors behave like—and are—political figures in general than that they exercise this discretion for their own ideological or moral reasons in particular (which I'm sure police boards etc. do in Canada as well).