Anti-Death Penalty Prosecutor’s Suspension Being Touted

ORLANDO, FL — Aramis Ayala made history when she won election to become Florida’s first black state attorney. She may soon go down in the record books yet again if some lawmakers get their request for her suspension granted.

Republicans across central Florida are calling on Gov. Rick Scott to suspend the Orange-Osceola state attorney from office, several media outlets are reporting. Rep. Bob Cortes, a Republican from Seminole County, even held a media conference outside the state Capitol Tuesday morning formally calling on Scott to suspend Ayala.

“She’s trying to change the law, and that is not her job as a prosecuting attorney, as a state attorney,” Cortes was quoted by WFTV as saying.

Ayala has been under heavy fire since announcing in March should would not seek the death penalty in a first-degree murder case against Markeith Loyd. The 41-year-old is accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and also firing the shots that killed Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton. During a media conference announcing her decision in the Loyd case, Ayala, said she had no intention to seek the death penalty in any eligible cases during her time in office.

Scott reacted first to the high-profile Loyd case by reassigning prosecution to Lake County State Attorney Brad King. On Monday, April 3, Scott issued executive orders pulling 21 first-degree murder cases from Ayala’s office. They were all reassigned to King instead.

“Each of these cases I am reassigning represents a horrific loss of life,” Scott said in a Monday statement. “The families who tragically lost someone deserve a state attorney who will take the time to review every individual fact and circumstance before making such an impactful decision.”

While Republican lawmakers are applauding Scott’s executive orders, some say they don’t go far enough. In addition to calling for her suspension, her office has also been targeted for at least $1.3 million in budget cuts.

Ayala retains support from Democrats. Sen. Randolph Bracy of Orlando penned a piece in the New York Times Tuesday. The op-ed, titled “Florida’s Vengeful Governor,” insists it’s not just a dispute over the death penalty.

“It’s also about the governor’s brazen lack of respect for prosecutorial independence, which is critical to the function of the legal system,” Bracy wrote.

Bracy called on Scott to reverse his executive orders.

“While I may not agree with Ms. Ayala’s decision to reject the death penalty in all cases, I strong affirm her right to make that choice,” he wrote.

Scott has made no move to reverse his orders. Whether he’ll answer the call to suspend Ayala remains unknown. Cortes told the Orlando-Sentinel he believes Scott has the authority in his office to suspend her. The Florida Senate would have to take action to completely remove her from office.

Meanwhile, Ayala has insisted Scott is abusing his authority as governor in pulling cases from her office, WFTV reported. Scott “has compromised the independence and integrity of the criminal justice system,” the station quoted a spokeswoman from Ayala’s office as saying.

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