Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from governing a conflict between DeSantis and Walt Disney.
Let’s analyze the issue closely and why the government demands to remove the magistrate from his lawsuit.
Ron DeSantis Seeks Disqualification Of Disney’s First Amendment Lawsuit
Governor Ron DeSantis seeks the qualification of a federal judge from the First Amendment case filed by Disney against him and his appointed officials. The governor claims that the jurist’s statements in other cases have questioned his impartiality on the state’s efforts to take over Disney World’s governing body.
Lawyers for DeSantis filed a motion in Tallahassee Court aspiring to disqualify Chief United States District Judge Mark Walker from attending the case filed by Disney the previous month. The suit alleges that DeSantis violated Disney’s “Right to Free Speech” and “Contracts Clause” by seizing the unique governing district that earlier was under the company’s control.
Mark Walker is a chief judge of the district and was nominated to the federal bench in 2012 by President Barack Obama. Disney sued DeSantis in April for allegedly involving the state administration in retaliation for the company’s criticism of legislation to ban classroom teaching of sexuality and gender identity to younger children. Opponents called the measure the “don’t say gay” law.
The lawsuit filed against DeSantis also alleged that he (DeSantis) mobilized the Republican-controlled legislature to attack “Woke Disney” and take control of Disney World’s self-governing administrative district
created in 1967 through legislation passed by lawmakers.
The company said the district helped Disney develop a theme park and resorts. The district was originally called Reedy Creek Improvement District and was also titled a “Defendant.” Afterward, Disney appointed a new board of supervisors. However, DeSantis appointed a board to cancel those agreements and made the theme park’s monorail system subject to state inspection. The Disney-appointed board sued Disney in state court in Orlando earlier this month, demanding to repeal the company’s deals with the previous board.
The governor’s new motion against the federal judge states that Mark Walker referred to the ongoing controversy between him and Disney during the hearings of two unrelated cases involving free speech issues before him. One of those cases was the First Amendment filed by Florida lecturers challenging a new law by surveying intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” on state campuses.
In the first case, Mark Walker said, “What is in the record? Is there anything in the record that says we will remove Disney’s special status because they are woke?”
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According to the DeSantis motion, In the second case, the judge said, “And then Disney will lose its status because arguably they made a statement that ran afoul of the state policy of the controlling party.”
Mark Walker tossed out the case because lecturers could not stand to challenge the law endorsed by DeSantis and Florida legislators.
The dispute between Disney and DeSantis has existed for over a year. It is gradually consuming the governor’s fame, turning it into criticism as he is expectedly preparing to launch a presidential bid next week.
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