Aramis Ayala, the state attorney for Orange and Osceola counties, has filed a federal lawsuit against Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who reassigned almost two dozen death penalty cases to another prosecutor after Ayala announced she will not seek capital punishment as a sentence while she is in office.

"The people of Orange and Osceola counties overwhelmingly elected State Attorney Aramis Ayala to serve as their prosecutor, not Governor Scott or State Attorney King," Ayala's attorney, Roy L. Austin, said in a statement Tuesday. "Just because Governor Scott disagrees with State Attorney Ayala's exercise of her lawful discretion, he does not have the authority to interfere with her ability to do her job because of his political position."

Ayala took office in January after beating incumbent State Attorney Jeff Ashton. On March 16, Ayala stood outside the Orange County Courthouse and announced she wouldn't seek the death penalty during her tenure as the top prosecutor in the Orlando area. The cases included Markeith Loyd, who is accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend, her unborn child and an Orlando Police officer.

Hours later, Scott removed Ayala from the Loyd case and reassigned it to State Attorney Brad King.

"All State Attorney Ayala wants is the ability to seek justice for her community in the best way that she knows based on facts and data," Austin said in a statement. "With today's filings, we are asking the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. District Court in Orlando to ensure the integrity and independence of the justice system as both federal and state law require."

Ayala eventually hired Austin, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney, who appeared before Judge Frederick J. Lauten March 28. Lauten denied Ayala's request to stay on the Loyd case during the status hearing.

Lauten did say that if Ayala were to legally challenge Scott's order and a court sides in her favor, "then things may change." King, a few days later, announced his office would seek the death penalty against Loyd.

In the lawsuit, Ayala's lawyer argues that her U.S. and state constitutional rights have been violated. She said her U.S. constitutional rights were violated under the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses because the governor assigned another state attorney to the homicide cases. By doing that, her lawyer argues Scott deprived voters, including Ayala as a voter, of the full value of their vote when they elected Ayala as the state attorney.

Ayala's lawyer also contends that Ayala's state rights were violated under Florida's separation of powers. Because Ayala works as a state attorney, her role falls under the judicial branch, and Scott's position would fall under the executive branch. One branch cannot have power over the other.

"I think her arguments are well made. I imagine she will be successful — if not on the state level, then on the federal level," said Steve Calvacca, an attorney with NeJame Law. "What is at stake here isn't whether this guy (Loyd) should be fried or not, I don't hold any brief on this individual. But the voters in this district, in this circuit, have a right to have their elected officials perform their duties, and if the governor doesn’t like that, well that is just unfortunate."