Marissa Alexander.
We've learned a lot about the "Stand Your Ground" laws in Florida and other states since a self-appointed neighborhood watchman shot and killed an unarmed boy, and walked free in Florida for 46 days. There seem to be a varied number of reasons why George Zimmerman was able to do that to Trayvon Martin, but one is the claim that he "stood his ground," using deadly force in a life-threatening situation. Whether or not you disagree with the law, that is the essence of it, and whatever their motivations, there are a lot of people backing Zimmerman's right to "stand his ground" and helping to fund his defense.
Rewind to two years ago, when Marissa Alexander "stood her ground," in the spirit of the law -- and didn't even kill anyone. She fired a bullet into the ceiling as a warning to her abusive husband, was arrested in Florida that same August night in 2010, and now stands charged with a crime that carries a mandatory 20-year prison sentence.
According to authorities, the 31-year-old mother of three fired a single shot from her legally registered handgun as she attempted to escape her 36-year-old husband, Rico Gray. In a 2010 deposition, Gray admitted to “four or five” previous incidents of domestic violence involving Alexander. Describing one of those incidents, which resulted in Alexander going to the hospital, he said, “We was staying together and I pushed her back and she fell in the bathtub and hit her head.”
This is how Alexander –- who had just given birth nine days before the incident -- described being shoved, strangled, and held against her will on that August 2010 night, per the blog set up by her first husband, Lincoln Alexander:
He and my two stepsons were supposed to be exiting the house thru the front door, but he didn’t leave. Instead he came into the kitchen that leads to the garage and realized I was unable to leave. Instead of leaving thru the front door where his vehicle was parked outside of the garage, he came into the kitchen by himself. I was terrified from the first encounter and feared he came to do as he had threatened. The weapon was in my right hand down by my side and he yelled, “B*** I will kill you!”, and charged toward me. In fear and desperate attempt, I lifted my weapon up, turned away and discharged a single shot in the wall up in the ceiling. As I stood my ground it prevented him from doing what he threatened and he ran out of the home. Outside of the home, he contacted the police and falsely reported that I shot at him and his sons [from a previous relationship]. The police arrived and I was taken into custody.
Four months after her arrest, a judge rejected Alexander’s attempt to seek immunity under Florida’s "Stand Your Ground" law, saying that she could have escaped her husband “through the front or back door.” In March, a jury took just 12 minutes to return a guilty verdict against Alexander for three counts of aggravated assault. Yesterday, a judge denied Alexander's request for a new trial; she is set to be sentenced on May 11.
Melissa will have more about this case on our show this weekend, but in the meantime, watch the report done by msnbc's own "Politics Nation with Al Sharpton" last night.
31-year-old Marissa Alexander is facing 20 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated assault. She fired a warning shot into the ceiling of her home after her husband threatened her. A judge rejected her "Stand Your Ground" defense, saying Alexander could have fled the home. Critics of the case are asking if the law is applied fairly. Former prosecutor Ken Padowitz and Charles Broward, reporter for Florida Times-Union, join Politics Nation.
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The law failed this woman not because she is black but because she is a housewife who defended herself from an abusive husband. It's funnny how the law defends a cold blooded killer but condemns a woman who put a hole in her ceiling. Perhaps she should have killed her assailant. That way she could have gotten out of the mess easily. The law favors killers.
If I had to form an opinion on just what's presented here, my opinion would be that under the "stand your ground" law this woman should be set free and those pursuing her criminally should be held accountable for denying her rights as set forth by this law. I disagree with the stand your ground law since it can be too easily abused as a defense but in this case, with only this article as evidence, it would seem to fall under a reasonable idea of "self defense".
Marissa Alexander should not be incarcerated, this is a miscarriage of justice. How can this be corrected to free Marissa?
I really disagree on several points. I am a life long liberal and a gun owner with a license to carry a firearm for over 15 years. This woman, IMO was TOTALLY within her rights and the fact that she was even charged with a crime at all is a travesty of justice, even for Florida.
She was defending her life and she did not even INJURE her attacker.
The problems here are so many it is hard to even discuss them all...the vast differences in gun laws even among various locations in the same state-even when such variance is illegal, as it is in Florida-is what gives prosecutors and judges TOO MUCH choice in wether or not to prosecute. This woman defended herself, injured no one else, and is going to state prison for 20 years? This is sick, racist, anti woman and no sense at all.
mark
Is there a defense fund for an appeal. She has been denied a new trial, but surely there is still an avenue to stop this horrible injustice. Please post an answer to this question and a link to a fund if there is one. If not, how do we start one?
Thank you. Dianne
e.g Dianne?
I don't wish to be rude, but;
Two seconds on Google:
The first problem in all stand your ground cases is the one Judge having the authority to dismiss or enforce before a trial. This particular Judge has lost his mind! He should be prosecuted for the trauma to this woman and his disrespect for the law. She did nothing wrong. She didn't cause harm to anyone. She has every right to defend herself against someone that has a record of harming her before. If this Judge can't see this, the people in the community should have him removed from that position.
I find it amazing that she faces twenty years, but George Zimmerman who took a life, could walk free if another Judge with this type of mindset could let him walk free.
John D. Taylor
Marissa Alexander’s story epitomizes fallacies of America’s protocol of legalized injustice. Mrs. Alexander was convicted in 12 minutes because her jury was not one of her peers. Up to 50% of minorities incarcerated by America’s prison industrial complex are tried by jurors of the Caucasian majority. There is no greater distinction than color that divorces the majority from minorities yet we as minorities continue to allow Caucasian majority to enslave us through an unjust criminal justice system. The Caucasian majority’s paradigmatic disposal to guilt of minorities shapes all trials where minorities are brought before their historically proven enemies; particularly when they are impoverished and thereby made subject to public defenders unwilling or incapable of adequately providing a substantive tenacious defense. O.J. Simpson’s case perfectly illustrated color as primary determinant of guilt or innocence where his money purchased an effective legal team that changed venue to the “hood” where a predominantly Black jury exonerated him. If O.J. were impoverished, he would have been executed by now for murders he may or may not have committed. His guilt or innocence isn’t the issue, his exoneration is however, and it was facilitated by him being able to “afford” a jury of his peers. Most Black and Latino defendants do not have financial capacities to receive juries of our peers and our demonstratively, as a result, convicted by juries of our enemies. I thank YAHWEH EL SHADDAY for giving me the wisdom to discern our oppressive reality and plead guilty for a crime I was innocent of which was assaulting two police officers with a deadly weapon of my shoe and a tripod camera stand where poverty would have sent me to prison for ten years, but the plea bargain let me out immediately because there was no case. My record may be an endless burden and impediment to success but at least I’m not in one of the cages America’s Caucasian majority has designed for minorities like me. There’s no Black leadership in America any longer to fight for justice of most wrongfully convicted minorities so it appears we as a people will keep being enslaved by Daniel 7’s fourth beast, and Genesis 3’s Caucasian “Snake in the Garden” until God’s dispensation of amelioration stipulated through Genesis 15, Deuteronomy 18, Isaiah 11 Jeremiah 23, and Ezekiel 37, comes to fruition within the next seven! Shalom.
Wow, really? Here is what the Judge said "The Legislature has not given me the discretion to do what the family and many others have asked me to do," he said.
The state's "10-20-life" law was implemented in 1999 and credited with helping to lower the violent crime rate. Anyone who shows a gun in the commission of certain felonies gets an automatic 10 years in prison. Fire the gun, and it's an automatic 20 years. Shoot and wound someone, and it's 25 years to life"
Natedoggwebb you appear to be an educated man but I'm wondering what your motive is on this matter. Separation of the races I suppose? Apparently you know more than I do on "Jury of Peers"... I thought it was people in your county of residence. That is peer enough for me but not for you? You must thrive on racial divide, flowing in your blood. So sad to see you've been brainwashed complicated and founded on bad religion. That's not what religion was founded on, pure hate on your behalf. Don't be giving God's word a bad name like many others do my brother. STOP THE HATE!!!
Completely unjust!
Do you really want a Judge to have full discretion? This opens the door to corruption. Marissa will be exonerated by a Circuit Court of Appeals and this isn't a Black thing as Rev. Al Sharpton wants all of his minions to believe. The Reverend has to show racial divide so he gets a paycheck. Please read from the Judges own words... "The Legislature has not given me the discretion to do what the family and many others have asked me to do," he said.
The state's "10-20-life" law was implemented in 1999 and credited with helping to lower the violent crime rate. Anyone who shows a gun in the commission of certain felonies gets an automatic 10 years in prison. Fire the gun, and it's an automatic 20 years. Shoot and wound someone, and it's 25 years to life.
This law is being wrongly used. IT NEEDS TO STOP. Read this story that is not so big in the headlines but is HUGE in the lives of the victims. They were my friends. Their mother is my friend. The alleged killer is claiming "Stand Your Ground" EVEN AFTER HE LEFT, WAS SAFE, and CAME BACK..... We are on pins and needles waiting to find out how this will end. This family needs justice and closure. Laurie (RIP JJ AND JOEL)
They took the link out of my comment. Please read the Orlando Sentinel and search for 2 Brothers gunned down at bar. (James and Joel Kun - victims / Jason Clair - alleged killer)