Statement on Florida Supreme Court Ruling on Gov. Scott’s Power Grab
Washington – Yesterday, the Florida Supreme Court ruled in favor of Gov. Rick Scott’s efforts to disempower State Attorney Aramis Ayala in order to impede prosecution reform. Advancement Project, a national racial justice organization that filed an amicus brief with other allies (available here), issued the following statement:
“Communities of color in Florida have come together against the state’s criminal justice crisis – they’ve propelled reforms and elected Aramis Ayala for state attorney,” said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project’s national office. “This momentum, rooted in struggle under a criminal justice system that fails to recognize the basic humanity of people of color, is larger than any single ruling by a court. Sooner or later, something has to give. No one – including an ideological governor bent on criminalizing communities of color – can thwart the will of a people determined to effect change.”
###
Advancement Project is a multi-racial civil rights organization. Founded by a team of veteran civil rights lawyers in 1999, Advancement Project was created to develop and inspire community-based solutions based on the same high quality legal analysis and public education campaigns that produced the landmark civil rights victories of earlier eras.
