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Aramis Ayala Shouldn't Need Rick Scott's Permission

March 17, 2017 - 1:15pm

Every time Aramis Ayala prosecutes a case from now on, she should publicly ask Gov. Rick Scott what the sentence should be.

After all, if he doesn't like the sentence on the table, he will remove the case and give it to a prosecutor who will go after the one he wants, right?

Markeith Lloyd deserves the death penalty.  If he is found guilty of the crimes he is accused of, he should be put to death. 

This is according to me.

And before anyone starts with the cries of "you haven't had a family member killed," yes I have. My sister was murdered in 2001, so I know how it feels to have a close family member killed by a maniac, and I still think Gov. Scott was wrong to remove this case from Aramis Ayala.

There is one problem, though.

I don't get to make that call. I'm not the duly elected state attorney for Orange/Osceola County.

That position belongs to Aramis Donel Ayala. She upset Jeff Ashton to win that position.

The voters chose her. She gets to make that call.

That was until Gov. Rick Scott didn't agree with her and decided to penalty-shop.

I would imagine that is an appeal writing itself.

Markeith Lloyd is probably laughing his butt off.

Mrs. Ayala said a death sentence would not result in swift justice and closure for the victims of Markeith Lloyd.

The father of Sade Dixon, one of Lloyd's victims, agrees with her.

Well, Rick Scott helped make sure that not getting swift justice and quick closure would be the case.

Sticking his nose into Ayala's business only helped to keep Lloyd's case going longer before it even got started.

Whether anyone believes in the death penalty, the discretion to seek it belonged to Aramis Ayala.

There is no law that requires her to seek the death penalty,  and regardless of the emotion involved, she broke no law in deciding not to seek it.

What has been most amusing to me has been all of these elected officials clutching their pearls, calling for Ayala's resignation, and claiming she isn't doing her job.

Please let me know when the Constitution Revision Commission has inserted the ability for voters to recall elected officials from the governor on down, for not doing what we feel is their job.

Until then, sit down and shut up, because a lot of you elected officials spend quite a bit of time "not doing your jobs" and getting away with it.

Aramis Ayala has said she will accept any LAWFUL order she receives from the governor, even though she laid out her reasons for her decision, and attempted to explain them to the governor.

Lawful is the key word here. 

Granted, the governor has discretion to reassign cases but in this case, is his discretion more important than Ayala's? 

I think the courts should get involved and determine the battle of discretion.

Im not sure if Ayala will sue, but other organizations such as the ACLU sure as hell should.

It's clear that Rick Scott wants the death penalty for Markeith Lloyd, no matter what.

Perhaps Scott should become a state attorney in his next incarnation instead of a U.S. senator, and then he would be able to make that call, instead of getting into the business of state attorney shopping.

How can the voters trust their elected state attorney when, based on this action by Gov. Scott, there will always be a question, "will he/she be beholden to the governor out of fear of repercussions?

This has now become bigger than a judgment call on the death penalty for me. 

It has turned into mob rule, with our governor holding the head pitchfork!

Leslie Wimes, a Sunshine State News columnist, is founder and president of Women on the Move and the Democratic African American Women Caucus, www.daawc.com. Follow Leslie on Twitter: @womenonthemove1.

Comments

She is a grandstander. Impeach her.

She needs to be removed from this office pronto. She is pleaing out cases that should go to trial, & it appears she just wants to turn these felons loose back on society ASAP. She really needs to go. This is a crisis!

Hmm just because the death penalty isn't on the table does not mean they go free but they get life with out parole. Maybe people should go read the laws before preaching like they know them. The ones you seen go free (after sometime) have been found innocent actually 24 death row cases where the person was later found innocent before getting executed.

Its not that she wouldn't seek the death penalty in this case, but to use this terrible tragedy to politicize the process by never seeking the death penalty on any case, she proved herself incompetent.

Not mob rule, Ms. Wimes. Your problems with it are fair and aired decently. But you concluded too extremely. I think he earned death, but she stated she is incllned to never submit a death penalty. That is activism, isn't it?

I find it astonishing that Mrs. Ayala is married to a convicted felon who served 7 years in prison for drug and counterfeit charges. Look it up!

Get the facts before you repeat lies reported by fake news. A reporter with many years of experience in journalism lost her job for not getting the facts and reporting fake news.

The death penalty is a fraud and waste of money. Ms. Ayala has taken a courageous stand and told the truth. Governor Scott has no "good and sufficient cause " to remove her from the case.

Very succinct and well stated.

Courageous? She's a simpleton politician who has disregarded a clear majority of the voters!

I'm mad at the police that arrested this bad person. Won't use his name because he doesn't deserve to have his name used. Why mad at the police? He didn't throw his guns down fast enough so they should have opened fire on him. Now while watching one of the local stations I heard them say something about bringing charges against those police officers that kicked his head & face. This could result in that bad person walking away free to harm someone else. This is a very big problem.

I agree, but don't count on the next idiot with a gun living to be freed.

Don't worry, he won't go free for that. Sure, it could be an improper act, and if video shows that, or evidence substantiates it, then ok. But what were the circumstances that transpired? We weren't there. Bad people lie, and police lose their cool with violent people. The arrestee may win an award for damages, but he won't get it if he is sued by anyone for wrongful death or another cause of action. And the officers could still be indicted for excessive use of force. If the guy is a killer, he won't walk though.

Don't worry, he won't go free for that. Sure, it could be an improper act, and if video shows that, or evidence substantiates it, then ok. But what were the circumstances that transpired? We weren't there. Bad people lie, and police lose their cool with violent people. The arrestee may win an award for damages, but he won't get it if he is sued by anyone for wrongful death or another cause of action. And the officers could still be indicted for excessive use of force. If the guy is a killer, he won't walk though.

Where on Earth did you hear that scuttlebutt?

NO such investigation going on and certainly no indictments forthcoming! Get the facts, NOT rumors instead of inuendo.

A Political action committee funded by philanthropist George Soros dumped $975,000 into defeating the incumbent, Jeff Ashton, in the Orange-Osceola State Attorney's race. Ayala reiterated that she is grateful for the support of anyone who wants to improve the criminal justice system. "I don't know George Soros and have never met him," she said.The billionaire financier has channeled more than $3 million into seven local district-attorney campaigns in six states over the past year — a sum that exceeds the total spent on the 2016 presidential campaign by all but a handful of rival super-donors. So Ms. Ayala was bought by Soros not brought in by the voters. She got what she deserved, replaced.

Ms. Ayala was removed from this case not because she wouldn't seek the death penalty in this case. It was because she said she would never seek the death penalty in any case. This is why she was removed. She shouldn't impart personal opinions in any case; she should be judging each case on its own merits and decide on whether a case warrants inclusion of the death penalty. Regardless, the defendant needs to be tried. Then the jury, must decide on whether or not the defendant is guilty. Then the jury has to be unanimous in deciding if they feel the death penalty should be carried out. Then the judge has to agree. There are plenty of reasons and causes that are in part checks in the system. Ms. Ayala knows all this. So I'm wondering if she didn't want the case in her jurisdiction or if she feels for whatever reason, that the defendant shouldn't be tried or should have a basis for appeal. So she pulled this stunt to do something like this. I don't know for sure, but it's my guess it's more than her personal opinion.

Sure seems to me Mrs. Ayalas is doing as suggested by George Soros, MY opinion.

Most people know that besides the almost million dollar 'donation' from old man Soros, they had had a discussion(simply to know each other) so she was well aware he was opposed to the death sentence. Now, could it be she's looking further into her future while she makes the old man happy with her refusing to prosecute with the death sentence on the table. Her announcement that her office would no longer seek the death penalty on any case which comes into her office has her publicly stating she would not follow the laws of Florida. Gov. Scott now reviewing her office and she could be removed from office. Even legislators are upset with her. One thing is for sure, there's a lot more to come over her reluctance to fulfill her legal obligations! By the way, my disappointment is that the cops didn't just shoot the S.O.B. and we'd have the case heard and sentence delivered.

Someone should approve (read omit) Wimes' retarded rant. Gov. Scott represents all the citizens of Florida, the ones Weems refers to as a 'mob'. Thank you Gov. Scott .

Speak for yourself.

Her name is WIMES, and she's one of the most racist people I've ever read but, it's always entertaining to read her crap!

Gov. Scott took lawful and legal action. If Ms. Ayala cannot uphold the laws of the state of Florida without interjecting her personal opinion that conflicts with those laws, then she should resign from her position and go to work for the ACLU or some other liberally biased group.

"Granted, the governor has discretion to reassign cases..." And there you have it, Ms. Wimes. All the reason you need to sit down and shut up.

Comments are now closed.

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