Attorney General James Uthmeier is finding himself in hot water with a federal judge who is not amused by his directives to Florida law enforcement.
Uthmeier undermined an Obama-appointed judge’s order that blocked a controversial state immigration law.
And now Florida’s Attorney General could face contempt charges over an immigration law dispute.
U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams is considering holding Florida’s top lawyer in contempt of court after he allegedly undermined her order blocking a controversial state immigration law.
The Obama-appointed judge didn’t mince words during Thursday’s hearing, making it clear she viewed Uthmeier’s actions as a direct challenge to judicial authority.
"There needs to be an appreciation and abiding by court order, or else this all becomes anarchy," Judge Williams declared during the nearly two-hour hearing.
The legal battle centers on Florida’s new immigration law that makes it a crime for undocumented immigrants to enter Florida after illegally crossing into the United States.
Judge Williams temporarily blocked the law last month after the ACLU challenged it, predicting it would be found unconstitutional.
What landed Uthmeier in the judge’s crosshairs was a memo he sent to law enforcement agencies on April 23. In that communication, he claimed that "no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce Florida’s new illegal entry and reentry laws."
This came just five days after Uthmeier had sent a previous directive telling those same agencies to halt enforcement following the judge’s initial order.
Judge Williams didn’t hide her frustration with what she viewed as Uthmeier telling police to ignore her ruling.
At one point, she characterized his message as essentially advising officers to "go out and arrest, there’s nothing stopping you."
"What about my order is improper, unlawful and illegitimate?" an irked Williams asked Uthmeier’s attorney.
Jesse Panuccio, Uthmeier’s high-profile lawyer who formerly served in top positions in state government and the Justice Department under Republican administrations, argued that the judge was only focusing on a "snippet" of his client’s letter without considering the full context.
He maintained that no law enforcement agencies had made arrests under the blocked law since April 18, which he presented as evidence that Uthmeier’s message wasn’t intended to encourage defiance.
"I don’t think this letter is saying that — there is no evidence," Panuccio argued. "There is no contempt."
But Judge Williams seemed unconvinced, pointing to public statements Uthmeier made in television interviews.
She paraphrased his remarks by saying that "I’m not going to rubber stamp her order… I’m not going to direct law enforcement to stand down on enforcing the Trump agenda or carrying out Florida’s law."
"When someone tells you who they are, you should listen," Williams said later in the hearing.
The ACLU, representing immigrant groups including the Florida Immigrant Coalition and Farmworker Association of Florida, pulled no punches.
Deputy Director Cody Wofsy told the court that Uthmeier’s letter was "an attempt to evade and undermine the court’s order" and that each word was "more damning than the next."
Uthmeier, 37, is a Florida native who previously served as chief of staff for Governor Ron DeSantis before being appointed as the state’s 39th attorney general in February.
DeSantis has publicly backed Uthmeier’s handling of the case.
If Judge Williams finds Uthmeier in contempt, he could face up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months of jail time – an extraordinary measure against a sitting state attorney general.
However, the judge indicated she might instead require Uthmeier to issue a corrective letter to law enforcement agencies, which she offered to write herself.
"He need have no qualms about it being authorized by him," she said.
The judge also considered requiring the defendants to submit weekly or monthly reports on any arrests made under the suspended law.
The case highlights growing tensions between state and federal authorities over immigration enforcement.
The plaintiffs argue that Florida’s law is unconstitutional because only federal authorities have the power to enforce immigration laws – a position Judge Williams appears to support, citing the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.
Uthmeier and other defendants – the statewide prosecutor and state’s attorneys – have appealed Williams’ injunction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Judge Williams did not indicate when she would issue her ruling on the contempt matter, saying only that she would take Panuccio’s defense into consideration and review past court cases outlining the standards for contempt findings.
The legal showdown continues as both sides dig in their heels over who has the ultimate authority to address immigration in the Sunshine State.
