Judge Mark Walker Recuses Himself from Disney vs. DeSantis Lawsuit, Criticizing Motion as “Judge-Shopping

A federal judge overseeing a lawsuit between Walt Disney Co. and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has recused himself from the case. U.S. District Judge Mark Walker, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, announced his decision on Thursday, citing a distant family member’s ownership of shares in the entertainment company.

In a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, Walker responded to a motion by DeSantis’ legal team requesting he remove himself from the case. Walker, however, harshly criticized the motion, calling it “nothing more than rank judge-shopping.”

Disney filed the lawsuit in July, accusing DeSantis of violating the company’s constitutional rights by refusing to allow its theme parks to reopen at full capacity. The company argued that DeSantis’ decision was based on politics rather than science.

DeSantis has argued that the lawsuit is without merit and should be dismissed. He has also argued that Walker’s statements in two unrelated cases referencing the ongoing feud between DeSantis and Disney raise doubts about his impartiality.

The case is now set to be heard by another judge. It is unclear when the new judge will be announced or when the case will proceed.