Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersMarch 23, 2017

In January, when she took office, new Denver District Attorney Beth McCann reaffirmed her campaign promise on an extraordinary policy: There would be no death penalty cases in her district under her watch. The reaction? Virtually nothing. No expressions of shock or outrage from other politicians, no calls for cases to be stripped from her, […]

Jim RosicaMarch 23, 2017

The leader of Florida’s black lawmakers Thursday said Gov. Rick Scott would not have stripped Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala of the Markeith Loyd murder case had she been a white Republican. “Absolutely not,” Sen. Perry Thurston, a Fort Lauderdale Democrat, told reporters at a news conference in the Capitol. Ayala, a Democrat, is black. Members of […]

Associated PressMarch 22, 2017

A prosecutor who was given a case involving a police officer’s murder by Florida’s governor after the original prosecutor said her office would no longer seek the death penalty says the original prosecutor has no authority to ask for the case back. Gov. Rick Scott gave the case against Markeith Loyd to State Attorney Brad […]

Martin DyckmanMarch 22, 2017

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Make room in Florida’s small hall of heroes. If John B. Orr Jr., were alive, he would be welcoming Aramis Ayala. When in 1956, while everyone else in Tallahassee was losing their heads over school segregation, Orr was the only legislator who dared to vote against a scheme to perpetuate it. Speaking on the House […]

Scott PowersMarch 21, 2017

The Orange County Democratic Party announced late Tuesday its executive committee has unanimously backed Orlando State Attorney Aramis Ayala‘s decision to not pursue the death penalty in Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit. Orange County Democratic Chairman Wes Hodge said more than 200 people attended the Monday night meeting at which the committee passed two resolutions; one […]

Michael MolineMarch 21, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott wouldn’t say Tuesday whether he would permanently suspend State Attorney Aramis Ayala. But Scott insisted his special prosecutor would be the one to seek the death penalty against Markeith Loyd, despite Ayala’s challenge to his order reassigning her. Under questioning by reporters at the state Capitol, Scott said only: “We are going […]

Scott PowersMarch 21, 2017

Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala has gotten her first significant backing from within her own party, with a resolution supporting her and her actions from the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida. The group announced Tuesday it has passed a resolution expressing “its support for Aramis Ayala’s right to exercise her prosecutorial discretion when deciding whether […]

Mitch PerryMarch 20, 2017

Despite the fact that he was speaking to a Tampa Bay-area Democratic Executive Committee on Monday night, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine wants you to know that he is not a candidate for Governor in 2018. Not yet, anyway. “I’m very undecided. I’m going around the state talking about what I think is important and […]

Scott PowersMarch 20, 2017

Republican state Rep. Bob Cortes called late Monday for Gov. Rick Scott to reassign all potential death penalty cases under the jurisdiction of State Attorney Aramis Ayala and to suspend her from office. Cortes, who was among the first critics of Ayala’s “no death penalty” policy announced last week, said in a letter to Scott […]

Scott PowersMarch 20, 2017

Elected prosecutors who declare they will not pursue the death penalty – as State Attorney Aramis Ayala of Orlando did last week – are rare and far between. And she might be unique in American history for being both very public and firm on that policy. Still, Robert T. Johnson of The Bronx, New York should know […]

Tag: Aramis Ayala

If Aramis Ayala had been in Denver, people might have shrugged

Legislative Black Caucus says it supports Aramis Ayala

New prosecutor says old prosecutor shouldn’t get case back

Martin Dyckman: Aramis Ayala’s principled stance on death penalty not out of step with history

Orange County Democratic Party unanimously backs Aramis Ayala

Rick Scott reviewing options in Aramis Ayala death-penalty situation

Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida backs Aramis Ayala

Philip Levine comes to Tampa but insists he’s still not a sure thing to run for Governor

Bob Cortes calls for Rick Scott to suspend Aramis Ayala, reassign all her capital cases

Has any elected prosecutor ever done what Aramis Ayala is doing?