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Orlando: Attorney General Will Not Seek Death Penalty in Murder Cases

HeadlineMar 17, 2017

In Florida, the top prosecutor for metropolitan Orlando has announced she will not seek the death penalty in any first-degree murder cases.

Aramis Ayala: “After careful review and consideration of the new statute, under my administration, I will not be seeking death penalty in cases handled in my office.”

State Attorney Aramis Ayala’s announcement Thursday sparked outrage because she was set to prosecute the case of Markeith Loyd, who is accused of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend and an Orlando police officer in January. Following her announcement, Florida Governor Rick Scott first called on Ayala to recuse herself from the case, and then, when she refused, he removed her from the case and reassigned it to another prosecutor. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, a judge has vacated the murder conviction of a man who has spent 32 years in jail for a crime he always maintained he did not commit.

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