Judge Puts a Wrench in DeSantis’ Plans Against Disney

An important update has arrived regarding the ongoing legal battle between Governor Ron DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company.

If you follow Florida politics, it has been impossible to ignore the absolute mayhem that is the situation with the Reedy Creek Improvement District. It all started when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis proposed legislation that would affect the powers of special districts like the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The district was initially created by Walt Disney himself in the 1960s to give his company control over the development of the Walt Disney World Resort. Many believe that Gov DeSantis’s interest in Reedy Creek stems from the fact that Disney CEO Bob Iger openly opposed his “don’t say gay” laws in Florida.

The Walt Disney Company has been open with its allyship towards the LGBTQ+ community. Disney also is the largest taxpayer and explorer in the state of Florida, making it a sizeable threat to the Governor. Nevertheless, DeSantis has continued to fight back against Disney, thus drawing national attention to Orlando politics.

Credit: NBC News

DeSantis vs. Disney Becomes National Breaking News

While Disney fans and central Floridians have been aware of the squabble for a while, the situation became a national headline after it was announced that the Walt Disney Company would be seeing Ron DeSantis. The whole world has tuned in to see what will come of this high-profile lawsuit, which has elevated stakes due to the fact that DeSantis is a possible candidate for the Republican Party in the coming election.

Last week, DeSantis shocked the public when he filed a motion to disqualify the Judge assigned to the lawsuit. The Judge in question is Mark E. Walker, and DeSantis wants him removed because his “impartiality in this matter might reasonably be questioned.”

Just yesterday, a proposed briefing schedule and “forthcoming motions to dismiss” were revealed. Now, the judge has said that the court “will take no action.”

Disney

Judge Mark Walker Halts Disney vs. DeSantis Lawsuit

This decision is because the Judge had determined that no further action could be made until it was figured out what would come from DeSantis’ wish to disqualify the judge. Judge Walker explained that “This court will take no action, scheduling or otherwise, in this case until it rules on the ending motion for disqualification.”

In a new filing in Disney v DeSantis, Judge Mark Walker says the court "will take no action" on yesterday's proposed briefing schedule and "forthcoming motions to dismiss" until the court rules on the pending motion filed by DeSantis to disqualify Walker from overseeing the case. pic.twitter.com/3QJZsk96i9

— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 23, 2023

It will be fascinating to see what comes of this case once it is revealed if the Judge will be dismissed or now.