On Dec. 6, the Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments on whether there are limits to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ authority to invalidate the results of local elections. Since taking office, the governor has removed an astounding 23 locally elected officials — school board members, mayors, a sheriff and prosecutors — many because he didn’t agree with their policies or because it was politically expedient. In doing so, he has eroded the very core of our democracy, the right of the people to be represented by the leaders they elect. Now the question is: will the Court put an end to this abuse of power and preserve democracy?

This case tests the constitutionality of the governor’s suspension of Monique Worrell, the duly-elected State Attorney from the 9th Judicial Circuit, which includes Orange and Osceola counties. Voters overwhelmingly elected Worrell in 2020 based on her promise to promote public safety, justice and equity by meeting the needs of victims, prioritizing the most serious cases and investing in communities.

Yet, the governor decided that he knew better than the people of Orange and Osceola counties. In suspending Worrell, DeSantis could only point to vague policy disagreements because no legal justification for the suspension exists. While DeSantis took issue with how Worrell exercised her prosecutorial discretion, the Florida Supreme Court itself has acknowledged that “under Florida’s constitution … the state attorney has complete discretion in deciding whether and how to prosecute.”

Prosecutorial independence is an essential part of both the Floridian and American criminal legal systems, and the Court must ensure that the significant decisions made every day by prosecutors are safeguarded from political interference.