State Attorney challenges Gov. Rick Scott's authority to pull her off cop-slaying case
ORLANDO — A Florida state attorney says the governor overstepped his bounds when he removed her from the case of a man accused of killing a police officer after she pledged to not pursue the death penalty.
State Attorney Aramis Ayala filed a motion in court Monday asking a judge to allow her to present that argument in court.
"Every day State Attorneys here in Florida make important decisions on who to charge, what to charge and what to prioritize," Ayala wrote in the motion. "Giving the governor the tremendous and unfettered discretion to interfere in that decision making would be unprecedented and could undermine the entire justice system in Florida."
Gov. Rick Scott removed Ayala from Markeith Loyd's case and reassigned it to a prosecutor in a neighboring district last Thursday after Ayala announced she would not pursue the death penalty in any case while she is in office. Loyd is charged with first-degree murder in the killings of Orlando Police Lt. Debra Clayton and his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon.
Read more: http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/state-attorney-challenges-gov-rick-scotts-authority-to-pull-her-off/2317238
= new reply since forum marked as read
