Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 4-14-17

FYI
Orange County State Attorney Aramis
SPOTLIGHT
LARISSA
This week’s Spotlight feature is Larissa, and she’s eager for her career to get started. This young lady is as confi- dent as they come, and she definitely has a bit of mystery about her that will attract cameras, magazines, and other professionals to want to use her likeness. Larissa feels she’s prepared for whatever lies ahead in her life, and she thinks she has the maturity to withstand anything. Con- gratulations to Larissa for being this week’s Spotlight fea- ture.
Ayala Files Lawsuit Against Gov.
Rick Scott For Violating Her Rights
Orange County State Attor- ney Aramis Ayala filed a fed- eral lawsuit Tuesday claiming Gov. Rick Scott violated her constitutional rights by remov- ing her from 23 murder cases after she chose not to seek the death penalty.
Ayala is the first elected African-American state attor- ney in Florida history. She was elected to serve a four-year term in November. “The Gov- ernor did not take this drastic step because of any miscon- duct on Ayala’s part, but sim- ply because he disagreed with her reasoned prosecutorial de-
State Attorney Ayala is the first Black elected State Attorney in Florida.
termination not to seek the death penalty under current
circumstances,” said Ayala’s federal complaint, filed in the U. S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Ayala made waves in March when she concluded that she would not seek a death sen- tence for Markeith Loyd, who was indicted for the mur- ders of pregnant ex-girllfriend, 24, and a police officer in sep- arate incidents in December and January.
Ayala’s lawsuit seeks a dec- laration that Gov. Scott vio- lated the Constitution and that she is the rightful elected pros- ecutor with discretion to man- age these capital prosecutions. Ayala also seeks an order re- instating her to oversee these prosecutions.
Ayala — who based her de- cision to not seek the death penalty in recent cases includ- ing Loyd because of research that it is “racially discrimina- tory” among other negative things — and her attorney are challenging whether Gov. Scott has the legal right to re- assign the cases, reports the Orlando Weekly.
PAGE 12-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2017