Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala announces she will not seek re-election
By WESH News
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala announced in a video posted to Facebook Tuesday that she will not be seeking re-election.
Ayala cited her personal views of Florida’s death penalty law in the announcement.
“It became abundantly clear to me that death penalty law in the state of Florida is in direct conflict with my view and vision for the administration of justice,” Ayala said.
Ayala announced in March 2017 that her office would no longer seek the death penalty in any case, a decision that made national headlines.
Gov. Rick Scott reassigned her death penalty-eligible cases to State Attorney Brad King. The governor's move was upheld by the state supreme court.
The court said Ayala was wrong to have a blanket policy of not seeking the death penalty.
Following the court’s decision Ayala announced that she would begin seeking the death penalty in future cases if it was unanimously recommended by a panel of her assistant prosecutors.
The most high-profile case transferred to King was the prosecution of Markeith Loyd.
Ayala said she's proud to have helped "raise the standard of prosecutorial responsibility."
She defeated incumbent state attorney Jeff Ashton in 2016.
https://www.wesh.com/article/aramis-...ction/27609112
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