Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Drew WilsonAugust 24, 2018

In the twilight hours of the Republican primary for Florida’s 15th Congressional District, former state Rep. Neil Combee has accused his chief rival in the five-way race of a serious crime: Buying votes. In a press release issued by Combee’s campaign Friday, the Auburndale Republican condemned the campaign of Dover state Rep. Ross Spano for […]

Scott PowersDecember 12, 2017

The ongoing conflict between Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala and Gov. Rick Scott over her death penalty policies took another turn as Ayala cut a murder deal with a suspect that avoids a death penalty then answered the governor’s questions by asking her own questions. Scott and Ayala, state attorney for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit, […]

Scott PowersNovember 20, 2017

New twists in the battle between Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala and Gov. Rick Scott after she agreed to prosecute death penalty cases; Scott is accusing her of missing a filing deadline, and Ayala responding Monday that Scott missed the case, and it will still be filed for capital punishment. “It is absolutely outrageous that Aramis […]

Scott PowersOctober 12, 2017

Eight months after she lit statewide firestorm debates over the death penalty and Florida government separation of powers, and five weeks after she lost those debates in the Florida Supreme Court, Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala appears at peace. Speaking with a gathering of journalists Thursday morning, the controversial, still-new state attorney for Florida’s 9th […]

Scott PowersSeptember 1, 2017

Having lost her fight in the Florida Supreme Court to prevent death penalty prosecutions in her circuit, Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala vowed Friday to remove herself completely from the decision process. Ayala said her new policy of turning all potential death-penalty cases over to a panel of assistant state attorneys in the 9th Judicial […]

Scott PowersAugust 31, 2017

Two more Orange County murder cases, including one dating to the early 1990s and one from this spring, are being stripped from Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala, with Gov. Rick Scott reassigning the prosecutions to State Attorney Brad King of Ocala. Scott signed two executive orders late Wednesday, reassigning the murder cases of Jermaine A. Foster, […]

A.G. GancarskiAugust 17, 2017

The Thursday morning agenda for the Jacksonville City Council’s Finance Committee’s budget review was filled with an assortment of departments. The Public Defender and the State Attorney. The Tax Collector. The Supervisor of Elections. All of these and a couple more besides. Of the greatest interest: the PD and the SAO, both of those offices […]

Scott PowersJune 6, 2017

Attorneys for Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala and Gov. Rick Scott will give their oral arguments on June 28 in the legal battle over the death penalty in Florida’s 9th Congressional District. Each side is being given 20 minutes that day in oral arguments in the case that both sides and multiple friends of the […]

Scott PowersApril 17, 2017

State budget cuts the Florida Legislature is aiming at Orlando’s State Attorney Aramis Ayala‘s office could slice up to $1.3 million and 21 staff members yet there is dispute over how much she’ll need that money and staff to prosecute criminal cases in Orange and Osceola counties. Her office currently has 55 open jobs out […]

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 […]

Tag: State Attorney
Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Image via Visit Florida.

Neil Combee accuses Ross Spano of buying votes in CD 15 primary

After cutting murder plea deal, Aramis Ayala demands answers from Rick Scott

Rick Scott, Aramis Ayala battle over missed deadlines in death penalty cases

Aramis Ayala moving on after losing death penalty battle

Aramis Ayala takes herself completely out of death penalty decisions

Rick Scott reassigns two more murder cases from Aramis Ayala

Jax City Council mulls Public Defender, State Attorney budgets, processes

Supreme Court sets oral arguments in Aramis Ayala-Rick Scott case

Aramis Ayala’s staff build up raises questions about whether she has enough

Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida backs Aramis Ayala