TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State Attorney Angela Corey is once again taking heat, this time with a civil rights group asking for her to be taken off one of Jacksonville's most high-profile cases.
The Florida Civil Rights Association set a letter to Gov. Rick Scott saying that Corey and her prosecutors need to be removed from the case against Michael Dunn, who's accused of killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis in a dispute over loud music.
On Thursday, people were standing up for the state attorney, saying she's the right person to do the job. Among them is Gov. Rick Scott, whose office said despite calls for a special prosecutor, Corey will remain on the case.
"What they've done is actually opposite of what we want and what we think is justice in this case," said John Phillips, attorney for Davis' family.
DOCUMENT: Read first part of letter| Read second part of letter
The two-page letter sent by the Florida Civil Rights Association said Corey should be removed because of an "alleged hostile work environment in this office and public distrust." It's another group criticizing the state attorney after losing the George Zimmerman case.
"Nobody said anything personal about her," Shayan Eliha, an attorney for the association, said in a phone interview. "It's not about personalities, it's about an office and how it's functioning."
Those defending Corey are stepping up. Phillips said Davis' parents are very supportive of the state attorney and feel she and her prosecutors will bring justice for the slain teen. Phillips said Corey does great things for victims' families and is a tough advocate for what is right. He said the civil rights group that wrote the letter never even contacted Davis' family, and their petition would hurt the case.
"If we have them pulled from this case and have them pulled to another jurisdiction and lose home-field advantage of a Jacksonville kid killed in Jacksonville and have another state attorney's office step in three months before trial, we run into a terrible situation," Phillips said.
Victim's advocates with groups like Families of Slain Children, the Justice Coalition and Mad Dads also told Channel 4 they supported Corey and the work she does as State Attorney.
Eliha said the group is not taking sides but is just standing up for what it believes is right.
"Obviously, we don't make the decisions, but we have a right as citizens to speak out when we think problems need to be corrected," Eliha said.
Corey did not respond for comment Thursday.