ウィスパリング同時通訳研究会コミュのFlorida Gov. DeSantis makes an announcement

DeSantis: (00:02)
Good morning. Thank you. Thanks so much. Thank you. Thanks to Sheriff Chronister for having us here for today’s announcement. And we’re glad that we’re back in Hillsborough County. Our government is a government of laws, not a government of men. And what that means is that we govern ourselves based on a constitutional system and based on the rule of law. But yet we’ve seen across this country over the last few years, individual prosecutors take it upon themselves to determine which laws they like and will enforce and which laws they don’t like and then don’t enforce. And the results of this in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco have been catastrophic. You could go in in San Francisco and steal a certain amount of merchandise. And you just would, by definition, not be prosecuted. That has undermined public safety. It has really hurt these communities and has been devastating to the rule of law.
(01:07)
So as I saw that happening across the country earlier this year, I asked my staff and my office to look around the state of Florida and to make sure that that was not going to happen here, where you would have individual prosecutors nullify laws that were enacted by the people’s representatives. They spoke with law enforcement throughout the state. They spoke with line prosecutors throughout the state, and it all came back to this area here in the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. And the response that we got was a lot of frustration on the part of law enforcement for criminals being let go and crimes not being prosecuted. And so we looked into it and we compiled a lot of the record and I can tell you, it’s been a very, very troubling record. So the prosecutor, state attorney for this judicial circuit, Andrew Warren has put himself publicly above the law.
(02:08)
In June 2021 he signed a letter saying that he would not enforce any prohibitions on sex change operations for minors. And that’s a debate that we’re having mostly administratively and through medical licensing in Florida, but other states have enacted penalties on the people that would perform those, which are really disfiguring these young kids. And he said, it doesn’t matter what the legislature does in the state of Florida. He’s going to exercise a veto over that. He’s also instituted policies of presumptive, non enforcement, and this involves an array of different things. And you’ll probably hear Sheriff Chronister and some of the other law enforcement officers talk about it, but that is not consistent with the role of a prosecutor. Yes, you can exercise discretion in an individual case, but that discretion has to be individualized and case specific. You can’t just say you’re not going to do certain offenses.
(03:02)
And then most recently after the Dobbs decision was rendered by the US Supreme Court, he signed a letter saying he, “would not enforce any laws relating to protecting the right to life in the state of Florida.” And mind you, we have had prohibition on third trimester abortions for a long time. We’ve had prohibitions on partial birth abortions for a long time. And then most recently, the legislature enacted and I signed protections from unborn babies at three and a half months. And when they are aborted, it’s typically done through a dismemberment procedure, which is really inhumane. Nevertheless, that is what the legislature has enacted. And it’s not for him to put himself above that and say that he is not going to enforce the laws. We don’t elect people in one part of the state to have veto power over what the entire state decides on these important issues. The constitution of Florida has vested the veto power in the governor, not an individual state attorney. And so when you flagrantly violate your oath of [inaudible 00:04:07]… and that no individual prosecutor puts himself above the law. And I can tell you the states and the localities that have allowed this to happen. They are ruining the day. You want to know why some people are moving to Florida? Because their communities are no longer safe thanks to prosecutors that think they know better than the people’s representatives and they get to pick and choose which laws that they’re enforcing. So this was something that had a lot of input around the state. This is something that I think is a very, very important issue across our country, that this movement would be allowed to take hold where you basically elevate your own personal conception of quote, “social justice” over what the law requires of you. And I would note, those who say this represents social justice. Look at San Francisco. They had to recall this prosecutor who was put in, funded by people like George Soros saying he’s not going to prosecute.
(05:56)
They did the recall election. He was recalled even in a very liberal jurisdiction, but the places that voted to keep him were the affluent communities who are not bearing the brunt of the policies. The places that voted to recall him were the working class communities because they bear the burden of ignorance and refusal to enforce the law. And so what this is all about is really when you uphold the rule of law, you are protecting the most vulnerable in our society. That’s why we have a rule of law. And so I think today’s action is obviously warranted. I know that they’ll potentially be some… Florida Senate could potentially see this depending on how things are going out. But I just think that to take a position that you have veto power over the laws of this state is untenable and I think it warrants the suspension and eventual removal of office.
(06:51)
And so we’re happy to be here with a number of people in law enforcement. And so I want to thank my friend and the sheriff here, Ted Chronister in Hillsborough County and I’m going to have him come up and say a few things.

Sheriff Chronister : (07:04)
Thank you, governor. We are truly grateful, the state of Florida and all of law enforcement to have you. Each day, I wake up, I leave my family and I go to work with purpose and pride to uphold my oath of office and keep everyone in Hillsborough County safe. And the nearly 4,000 employees here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office, share these same values. We put our lives on the line for complete strangers. We are resolved to apprehend the criminals who prey on law abiding citizens in our community. It’s our duty and we trust that our criminal justice system, the state attorney, public defender and courts will fairly adjudicate the circumstances and hold those who are guilty, accountable. Like law enforcement throughout the county, our criminal justice partners also take an oath to uphold the constitution, the dually enacted laws of this state and to be the voice for victims and the protectors of public interest.
(08:10)
The governor’s suspension of State Attorney Warren is not political to me. It’s about law and order. It’s about ensuring our loved ones are safe. It’s about the victims and their voices. There aren’t Republican and Democratic victims, just victims. They matter and they should be heard. Over the last several years, State Attorney Warren has acted as an adjudicator of all as if some type of supreme authority by reducing charges, dropping cases and single handedly determining what crimes will be legal or illegal in our county. Ask yourself, aren’t these the decisions for the courts or a jury of our peers? One of the more egregious examples occurred in September and involved a suspect who after shooting someone then opened fire on a residence where that victim sought refuge and protection. Inside of that house was the victim, his mother, other children, and extended family members who were forced to take cover and hide. To make things even worse, nearby was another mother and her twin infant children in a vehicle.
(09:25)
One of the shooters, our suspect, was identified and arrested just a short few days later. After being released from jail, he was caught and arrested for committing another burglary. And while in jail, the state attorney’s office, no files charges on the shooting and the separate burglary charge. Earlier this year, this very same suspect was again arrested for carrying a concealed firearm and just last week arrested for the second time on charges of carrying a concealed firearm. My point is, like too many cases why was this violent offender not held responsible for the original shooting? The state attorney’s office explanation to our detective is, “The depositions would’ve been too lengthy and complicated.”
(10:15)
To add a little more context, the suspect who faced no accountability for the shooting, we believe has gang affiliation and involvement in an unsolved homicide. One of the victims in this case, the mother, is extremely angry and frustrated with State Attorney Warren, feeling as though her status as a victim doesn’t matter and the state attorney simply does not care. The victim wanted to be here today to tell her story herself, but has to work in order to provide for her family. The victim has lived in a motel since this shooting because she’s too frightened to return to that home. Even in the face of this adversity, law enforcement continues to report for duty and uphold their obligation.
(11:03)
As your sheriff, I continue to work with my law enforcement counterparts, who privately are frustrated with the state attorney who seems intently focused on empathy for criminals and less interested in pursuing justice for crime victims.
(11:22)
As most everyone knows, I’m a tremendous proponent of reducing recidivism. I’ve created several diversion programs and continue to provide resources, education, and training opportunities for individuals to rehabilitate and improve themselves, while still holding offenders responsible for their actions. These efforts do not involve a blatant refusal to uphold the laws of our state. As the governor just outlined and as Tampa law enforcement has seen over the years, empowering criminals through a lack of prosecution, jeopardizes the safety of our Tampa Bay community and makes them even more brazen to commit additional crimes and continue to victimize the innocent.
(12:10)
As a sheriff of Hillsborough County, I am committed to law and order, and I hold myself accountable to the people and would expect other elected members of our community to uphold these same values. Today, Governor DeSantis is holding State Attorney Warren accountable.

DeSantis: (12:29)　Okay. Another one of our great sheriffs that many of you know, Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd.

Grady Judd: (12:49)Thank you very much, governor. It’s truly my honor to be a Florida sheriff. And I can tell you, I’ve done this job my entire adult life. I remember, governor, when the felons-

Sheriff Grady Judd: (13:03)
… Life. I remember, Governor, when the felons owned Florida. It was in the ’70s and ’80s. I remember that well. I was one of the cops on the street when we couldn’t keep the felons locked up, we couldn’t keep the criminals locked up and they prayed on the community. And Governor, they didn’t prey on the ones behind the gated communities in the million and half million dollar homes, they prayed on what I call the real working people. And then the magic thing happened. We changed the laws. We decided to hold them accountable. And Governor, it was a Democrat governor that signed the legislation that started us down the path originally to make a positive difference.
(13:45)
Now, I look around the country today. I’ve seen a few things. I was recently the president of the Major County Sheriffs of America. I talked to and counseled with the sheriffs from the largest jurisdictions in the entire nation to include the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office. In fact, the sheriff there was my vice president of the association at one time. And you know what they tell me, they tell me we got a dumpster fire going on in this nation. And you know who’s getting burned by this dumpster fire, the working people. It’s not safe for people to walk the streets.
(14:26)
The homeless aren’t being looked out for. The mentally ill aren’t being looked out for, and it’s by the major people. Now, Governor, I know you’d be disappointed if you didn’t see some cards. So let me give you a snapshot of the people that join Prosecutor Warren in not enforcing the law. We just want to enforce the law. It’s the prosecutor in New Orleans, per capita it’s the highest murder rate in the United States. You’re going to see a common theme here in a minute. San Francisco, where businesses are closing, where they threw the prosecutor out because they weren’t holding criminals accountable.
(15:10)
Chicago, I think that speaks for itself. Los Angeles, where the sheriff told me I’ve got 60,000 homeless. We have criminals running wild. We have innocent people being victimized. And who’s responsible there? The prosecutor, the chief prosecutor who’s allowing it to occur. He has the law. He has the tools. Baltimore, Maryland, but that’s not all. And here’s one of our favorite places, Portland, Oregon. You can set up a chop zone there and just not let the cops come in. You know how long there’d be a chop zone in Polk County? As long as it takes me to drive back there from here.
(16:04)
New York, where they’re not holding people accountable, Seattle, Washington, and Washington, DC. So what’s the commonality here? Just go look for yourself. Look at the data. The murders are up. Innocent people are being murdered where prosecutors don’t do their job. My friend Chad Chronister just gave you an example. We don’t have time to stand here all day. But listen, Prosecutor Warren, like the rest of us who ran for public office, we asked for your precious vote in order to enforce the law and do what was right. Then we took an oath to tell the truth, to uphold the constitution and to support the laws and the government.
(16:57)
And we do that and we’re led by the greatest governor in the United States of America. But there are some, and it’s the elected prosecutors that sign the papers, that said they wouldn’t prosecute. Not we’ll evaluate it case by case, we won’t prosecute. They’re not God. They’re not the legislature. So at the end of the day, ladies and gentlemen, this is about protecting the community we serve. This is about keeping people safe. And when you look at the highest murder rates, when you look where the quality of life is lowest, you look at the prosecutor who does not support law enforcement, who does not do what’s right.
(17:56)
Our governor does what’s right. And Governor, I appreciate from the bottom of my heart you setting the example and doing the right thing and keeping the people safe. And the exciting thing is you not only protect the people behind the gated communities, you protect the people who cling the gates on those communities. Thank you.

Governor Ron DeSantis: (18:20)Thank you.
Sheriff Grady Judd: (18:20)God bless you.