Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersAugust 31, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has the authority to transfer murder cases away from the office of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala because she refuses to pursue capital punishments, the Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Ayala greeted the ruling by declaring she was changing her policy, and would set up a special panel to review the death penalty […]

Joe HendersonAugust 24, 2017

If Mark James Asay is executed tonight, that will be the first time the state of Florida has used capital punishment on a white man for killing a black person. It’s a grim reality that’s worth noting, and I would respectfully disagree with Mark Elliott, executive director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. […]

Associated PressAugust 23, 2017

For the first time in state history, Florida is expecting to execute a white man Thursday for killing a black person — and it plans to do so with the help of a drug that has never been used before in any U.S. execution. Barring a stay, Mark Asay, 53, is scheduled to die by […]

Scott PowersJuly 17, 2017

Gov. Rick Scott has reassigned the cases of two women accused of abusing a three-year-old Orange County boy to death, transferring their cases from Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala to Ocala’s State Attorney Brad King. The transfers are like more than 20 others the governor has reassigned from Ayala to King since March, when Ayala, the […]

Associated PressJuly 3, 2017

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Florida Gov. Rick Scott is set to resume executions after a hiatus of more than 18 months after the U.S. Supreme Court found Florida’s death sentencing procedure was flawed because it allowed judges to reach a different conclusion from juries. Scott rescheduled the execution of Mark Asay for Aug. 24. Asay was originally scheduled to […]

Associated PressJune 29, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court is ordering new sentencing hearings for four inmates currently on the state’s death row, including one of three women residing there. The high court on Thursday threw out the sentences because a jury did not unanimously recommend the death penalty in the cases. The Court ruled last year that death sentences […]

Jim RosicaJune 28, 2017

A dubious-sounding Florida Supreme Court shellacked Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala‘s lawyer during oral arguments Wednesday, questioning her prosecutorial “discretion” in not seeking the death penalty. “I don’t even see a gray area,” Justice R. Fred Lewis said. “It seems to me that ‘discretion’ is not to ignore Florida law.” Justice Barbara Pariente also raised concerns […]

Associated PressJune 28, 2017

Does Florida’s governor have the power to take away a prosecutor’s case if he disagrees with a decision not to seek the death penalty? The state’s highest court will hear arguments Wednesday over that question in a legal fight between Gov. Rick Scott and State Attorney Aramis Ayala, whose district covers the Orlando area. Their […]

Scott PowersJune 14, 2017

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A handful of Republicans and Libertarians gathered in Orlando Wednesday to announce formation of a conservative group to oppose Florida’s death penalty, yet tried hard to distance themselves from controversial and progressive anti-death penalty State Attorney Aramis Ayala, whose office was only 30 feet away. The group Florida Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty is an offshoot […]

Scott PowersJune 8, 2017

The Florida Supreme Court has remanded another murder case death penalty from Orlando, that of Bessman Okafor, and Gov. Rick Scott quickly reassigned it away from Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala. The move came with swift intervention from state Rep. Bob Cortes of Altamonte Springs, who asked the governor to keep the case from going […]

High court backs Rick Scott, Aramis Ayala vows new policy

Joe Henderson: Impending execution raises old questions on death penalty

For the first time in Florida, a white person is set to be executed for killing a black person.

Rick Scott reassigns 2 more Aramis Ayala cases, involving alleged child killers

Florida set to resume executions after 18-month hiatus

Florida Supreme Court throws out 4 death sentences

Court grills Aramis Ayala lawyer over avoidance of death penalty

Rick Scott, Aramis Ayala fight heads to state high court

Conservative group forms to oppose Florida’s death penalty

Supreme Court sends Bessman Okafor sentence back, Rick Scott reassigns it from Aramis Ayala