Oscar Braynon, four other Democrats, set to file in support of Aramis Ayala

Five Democratic lawmakers led by Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon are preparing to file a brief with the Florida Supreme Court in support of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala in her effort to challenge Gov. Rick Scott‘s power to take cases away from her.

Braynon, state Sens. Jeff Clemens, Perry Thurston, and Gary Farmer, and state Rep. Sean Shaw all filed a request Thursday with the Supreme Court to enter an amicus brief supporting Ayala and opposing Scott. The court quickly approved it.

Braynon is from Miami Gardens; Clemens, Lake Worth; Thurston and Farmer from Fort Lauderdale and Shaw from Tampa.

They explicitly stated in their friend-of-the-court brief would “provide an alternative perspective to that of amici Florida House of Representatives.” The Florida House, under the leadership of Speaker Richard Corcoran, also has sought and received court permission to enter an amicus brief, theirs on the side of Scott. That brief has not yet been filed.

The matter involves Ayala’s announcement that she would not pursue death penalty prosecutions, and Scott’s response of signing executive orders to reassign 23 first-degree murder cases from her in the 9th Judicial Circuit to State Attorney Brad King in the 5th Judicial Circuit. Ayala filed a complaint with the Supreme Court last week seeking writ of warrento, seeking to force Scott to prove he has the authority to do so.

The Democratic lawmakers alternative brief, according to the request filed Thursday,  “would address whether Governor Scott acted within the authority provided under Article IV, Section 1, Florida Constitution, and Section 27.14, Florida Statutes, when he issued executive orders that assigned another State Attorney to discharge the duties of the Petitioner Ayala with respect to a specific case or class of cases is whether there is ‘any good and sufficient reason the Governor thinks that the ends of justice would best be served.’ Austin v. State, 310 So. 2d 289, 292 (Fla. 1975).”

The Democrats expect to have their brief filed by Friday.