Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Scott PowersApril 7, 2017

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is declining to file a challenge supporting Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala against Gov. Rick Scott and may intervene to oppose anything Ayala files. That sets the stage for Ayala to likely present her challenge early next week, seeking to get a judge to declare that, short of a finding […]

Scott PowersApril 5, 2017

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You get a former prosecutor, a retired judge and a defense attorney together to talk about legal issues underpinning Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala‘s decision to not pursue death penalty prosecutions, and you might expect lively disagreement. But a brawl? A debate in Orlando Wednesday between former 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Jeff Ashton and […]

Scott PowersApril 4, 2017

Repeatedly saying that his concern is with her blanket statement to decline death penalty prosecutions, state Rep. Bob Cortes renewed his call Tuesday for the resignation or suspension of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala. Cortes is emerging as one of Ayala’s sternest critics after the state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit announced last month […]

Scott PowersApril 4, 2017

Democratic state Senator Randolph Bracy has published a national defense of Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala Tuesday with an op-ed column in the New York Times contending Gov. Rick Scott has overreached in removing cases from her. In the column headlined “Florida’s Vengeful Governor,” Bracy argues that Scott’s reassignment of 22 death penalty cases from […]

Michael MolineMarch 30, 2017

A church atmosphere prevailed as some 300 people converged on the state Capitol Thursday to protest Gov. Rick Scott’s removal of Orlando prosecutor Aramis Ayala from the murder prosecution of Markeith Loyd. The protest, organized by Color of Change and Equal Justice USA, included denunciations of the Legislature for threatening to strike $1.3 million from […]

Scott PowersMarch 29, 2017

Orlando’s embattled state Attorney Aramis Ayala accused the Florida Legislature of threatening the public safety and economic health of Central Florida by proposing budget cuts of at least $1.3 million to her office. The Florida House Judicial Appropriations Subcommittee unveiled a budget Tuesday that would cut that much from the Office of the State Attorney […]

Scott PowersMarch 29, 2017

A coalition of Civil Rights and other organizations is planning to bus hundreds of supporters to Tallahassee for a rally Thursday for Orlando’s embattled State Attorney Aramis Ayala. The “Ride For Aramis,” events will conclude with a 12:30 p.m. rally on the Duval Road steps of the Florida Capitol. Organizers, which include the NAACP, Latino […]

Scott PowersMarch 28, 2017

After losing a judge’s ruling Tuesday on her request to remain the prosecutor for the murder trial of of alleged cop-killer Markeith Loyd, Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala vowed Tuesday to continue fighting for her right to represent the state in that case. Ninth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Frederick Lauten ruled Tuesday that the state […]

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, […]

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 […]

Tag: death penalty

Pam Bondi declines to file writ for Armamis Ayala

Legal debate over Aramis Ayala’s decision turns into hockey game

Bob Cortes, others renew call for Aramis Ayala’s removal

Randolph Bracy comes to Aramis Ayala’s defense with NY Times op-ed

Hundreds rally at Capitol in support of embattled Aramis Ayala

Aramis Ayala slams proposed budget cuts as threatening public safety in Central Florida

Busloads of ‘hundreds’ planned for Aramis Ayala rally in Tallahassee

Aramis Ayala loses judge’s ruling but pushes forward to challenge case reassignment

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

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