Lawyer for parents who challenged Florida mask mandate ban 'not surprised' by court's reinstatement

A lawyer for the parents who challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) mask mandate ban said he is "not surprised" by a state appellate court's decision to overturn a trial judge's order against the ban, thus reinstating it temporarily, Law and Crime reports on Friday.

"I am not surprised by the decision of the First District which has a reputation for being very friendly to this governor," said the parents' lawyer Craig A. Whisenhunt. "It is nonetheless very disappointing that they would reinstate a stay when the overwhelming evidence of irreparable harm cannot be legitimately disagreed with."

Whisenhunt said the case is instead meant for Florida's Supreme Court, at which point he expects the plaintiffs to prevail. He added, "The question now becomes simply how quickly this case will reach that ultimate review and how many more Floridians will suffer the consequences of a pandemic because of the unconstitutional actions and failure of leadership demonstrated by this administration."

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The First District judges, all three of whom were appointed by Republican governors, overturned the trial judge's initial block because of "serious doubts about standing, jurisdiction, and other threshold matters." Read more at Law and Crime.