Entries tagged with “Markeith Loyd”

Policy Issues

Sentencing Alternatives

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Victims' Families

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Nov 08, 2019

Jurors Speak About Decision to Impose Life Sentence in Florida Case at Center of Conflict Between Prosecutor and Governor

On March 16, 2017, say­ing that cap­i­tal pun­ish­ment is ​“not in the best inter­ests of this com­mu­ni­ty or in the best inter­ests of jus­tice,” Orange/​Osceola County (FL) state pros­e­cu­tor Aramis Ayala announced that her office would not pur­sue the death penal­ty in any case. That deci­sion, announced in con­nec­tion with the pros­e­cu­tion of a man charged with killing his ex-girl­friend, her unborn child, and a police offi­cer respond­ing to the crime, ignit­ed a political…

Policy Issues

Race

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Sentencing Data

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Aug 31, 2017

Florida Supreme Court Upholds Removal of Prosecutor From Death-Eligible Cases

The Florida Supreme Court has upheld Governor Rick Scott​’s (pic­tured, left) removal of Orange and Osceola County State Attorney Aramis Ayala (pic­tured, right) as pros­e­cu­tor in more than two dozen mur­der cas­es because of her offi­cial pol­i­cy not to seek to seek the death penal­ty. Over two dis­sents, the sev­en-mem­ber Court held that Scott had act­ed ​“well with­in the bounds of the Governor’s broad author­i­ty” when he replaced Ayala with Lake County…

Policy Issues

Arbitrariness

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Sentencing Data

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Apr 04, 2017

In Expanding Dispute Over Death Penalty, Florida Governor Orders Replacement of Local Prosecutor in 21 Murder Cases

Florida Governor Rick Scott issued a series of exec­u­tive orders on April 3 remov­ing local­ly elect­ed 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Aramis Ayala (pic­tured) from 21 first-degree mur­der cas­es and replac­ing her with 5th Judicial Circuit State Attorney Brad King. The removal comes two weeks after Ayala announced a pol­i­cy that her office would not pur­sue the death penal­ty in mur­der pros­e­cu­tions. The cas­es include a num­ber of poten­tial capital…

Policy Issues

Race

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New Voices

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Mar 23, 2017

Florida Black Caucus, Victim’s Parents Urge Governor to Rescind Order Removing Prosecutor For Not Seeking Death Penalty

The Florida Legislative Black Caucus has joined more than 100 lawyers and legal experts and the par­ents of mur­der vic­tim Sade Dixon in urg­ing Governor Rick Scott to rescind his order remov­ing Orange-Osceola County State Attorney Aramis Ayala (pic­tured) from a high-pro­file dou­ble mur­der case in which she decid­ed to not seek the death penal­ty. The oth­er vic­tim in the case, Lt. Debra Clayton, was an Orlando police offi­cer. Governor Scott did not speak with…