State Attorney Sues FL Gov. For Removing Her From Cases

State Atty. Aramis Ayala is suing, saying Florida Gov. Rick Scott acted unconstitutionally when he removed her from nearly two-dozen first-degree murder cases after she said she would not pursue the death penalty. Scott had already moved Ayala off the case of Markeith Loyd, charged with killing an Orlando police lieutenant and his pregnant former girlfriend last year. Scott then took the step of reassigning another 21 cases to nearby state attorney. “The Governor did not take this drastic step because of any misconduct on Ayala’s part, but simply because he disagreed with her reasoned prosecutorial determination not to seek the death penalty under current circumstances,” Ayala’s attorney, Roy Austin, wrote in the filing. “The people of Orange and Osceola Counties overwhelmingly elected State Attorney Aramis Ayala to serve as their prosecutor – not Governor Scott or State Attorney King,” referring to Brad King, the prosecutor assigned to Ayala’s former cases. Scott told NPR earlier this month, “State Attorney Ayala’s complete refusal to consider capital punishment for the entirety of her term sends an unacceptable message that she is not interested in considering every available option in the fight for justice.”