Florida state rep asks governor to suspend state attorney over death penalty stance

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In the wake of State Attorney Aramis Ayala’s announcement that she will not pursue the death penalty in any cases her office prosecutes, Florida Rep. Bob Cortes has asked the governor to suspend her from her post.

Ayala specifically said she would not pursue the death penalty in the case against Markeith Loyd, who is accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend in December and Lt. Debra Clayton in January.

In response, Gov. Rick Scott removed her from the case and appointed another state attorney to prosecute Loyd.

Ayala has filed a motion in the case asking the court to reverse Scott’s executive order removing her from the Loyd case.

In a letter to Scott, Cortes said he believed Ayala had overstepped her prosecutorial discretion and was trying to “rewrite the law.”

“(I am) respectfully asking that you suspend State Attorney Aramis Ayala from her position on the Ninth Judicial Circuit,” Cortes said in the letter.

Cortes wants Ayala removed from all pending death penalty cases currently being prosecuted by her office.

“It is obvious these cases will not be handled in the manner they should by the current state attorney,” he said in the letter.

Ayala argued in her motion that Scott overstepped his authority in removing her from the Loyd case.

Cox Media Group