By Cynthia Hoang-Duong
WASHINGTON, DC. — The American Bar Association announced earlier this week that Hillsborough County state attorney Andrew H. Warren—fired by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing a letter pledging not to prosecute abortion crimes—will be awarded the Curtin-Maleng Minister of Justice Award.
According to the ABA, the award recipients are prosecutors who fulfill the principles of the ABA Standards for Criminal Justice, Prosecution Function, written as “to seek justice, not merely to convict.”
Warren, the twice-elected state attorney for Hillsborough County, was removed from office by DeSantis (R-FL) a year earlier for “neglect of duty” and “incompetence” after refusing to prosecute alleged abortion and transgender care crimes.
In January, U.S. District Court Judge Robert Hinkle ruled the Republican governor’s suspension of the prosecutor state was unconstitutional because it violated the prosecutor’s First Amendment rights. However, the judge concluded he lacked the authority to reinstate Warren.
Warren’s case is currently pending in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit after the Florida Supreme Court rejected his appeal.
On Friday, Aug. 4, the one-year anniversary of DeSantis’ illegal suspension of the prosecutor, Warren will receive the award.
Previously serving as a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice, Warren targeted street crime in the U.S. Elected as state attorney in 2017, Warren concentrated his efforts on prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation for individuals suffering from mental illnesses and substance abuse.
According to the ABA’s press release, Warren implemented reforms and established diversion programs, such as civil citation programs, to address low-level offenses and reduce the rate of recidivism. He also worked to address the economic disparity in the criminal justice system.
The ABA praised Warren as the head of his office which seeks to “build a safer community while promoting justice and fairness for everyone in the criminal justice system.”
Erek Barron, the incumbent U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, will also receive the ABA’s top award. Barron took office in 2021 as the chief federal law enforcement officer for Maryland, addressing cases of national security, terrorism, organized crime, fraud, and civil rights violations.
He formerly served in the House of Delegates under the Maryland Justice Reinvestment Coordinating Council, working to reduce crime and recidivism, and as a policy adviser for then-Senator Joe Biden.
