Suspended Florida prosecutor wins appeal, new shot at reinstatement

• "DeSantis argues that even if Warren prevails on the merits of his claim, the district court lacks the authority to reinstate Warren," reads the ruling by the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. "We reject this argument."

Catch up fast: Warren, a Democrat, was elected as Hillsborough County's top prosecutor in 2016 and 2020.

• DeSantis suspended Warren in August 2022, citing a pledge the prosecutor signed not to criminalize abortion and gender-affirming medical care.
• Warren then sued DeSantis to get his job back, claiming that DeSantis violated the First Amendment.
• A federal judge ruled last January that DeSantis had violated Warren's rights but that the court didn't have the power to undo the suspension.

What they're saying: "We look forward to returning to the District Court to obtain the relief that has been denied to me and all the voters of Hillsborough County for 17 months: reinstating the person elected by the voters," Warren said in a statement.

The other side: Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for DeSantis, blasted the ruling as "flat wrong."

• "DeSantis used his authority under the state constitution to suspend this prosecutor from office … It's inappropriate for a federal court to intervene in this matter."

Editor's note: This story was updated to add a statement from Andrew Warren.