Fla. mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots

CBS ^ | 7/14/13 | CBS

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Fla. mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots

CBS News) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida woman who fired warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville had said the state's "Stand Your Ground" law should apply to her because she was defending herself against her allegedly abusive husband when she fired warning shots inside her home in August 2010. She told police it was to escape a brutal beating by her husband, against whom she had already taken out a protective order.

CBS Affiliate WETV reports that Circuit Court Judge James Daniel handed down the sentence Friday.

Under Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing requirements Alexander could receive a lesser sentence, even though she has never been in trouble with the law before. Judge Daniel said the law did not allow for extenuating or mitigating circumstances to reduce the sentence below the 20-year minimum.

"I really was crying in there," Marissa's 11-year-old daughter told WETV. "I didn't want to cry in court, but I just really feel hurt. I don't think this should have been happening."

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

Is this for real? Some lib brought this up on Twitter in their arguments over Zimmerman. This can't be the whole story, 20 years? Nobody shot, nobody killed, order of protection, no criminal record...20 years? What?

This one says she fired a warning shot - one - into a wall

http://www.presstv.ir/usdetail/313726.html

[driftdiver]

She could have shot him and only done 10 for manslaughter.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Sounds like she had a really crappy lawyer.

[Figment]

There has to be more to this story. Was there a jury trial or just the judge?

[bolobaby]

Here is the FULL STORY:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/89763383/States-Motion-in-Opposition-of-Defendants-Motion-for-Immunity

[101stAirborneVet]

Is this for real? Some lib brought this up on Twitter in their arguments over Zimmerman. This can't be the whole story, 20 years? Nobody shot, nobody killed, order of protection, no criminal record...20 years? What?

Warning shots are reckless and endanger innocent people, and should never be fired. If a person truly believes they are in jeopardy of being killed or suffering serious bodily injury, they should fire at their attacker. By not firing at the attacker, you raise doubt that you actually felt yourself to be in such jeopardy.

That being said, I suspect there is more to the story. Isn't that how lib examples operate? They tell 1/10th of the story? Little boy....skipping home from the store with Skittles....

[DannyTN]

Husbaned says it was her violent nature

[Chode]

a gun is deadly force, if she was in fear for her life, she should have shot him...

[Slings and Arrows]

Or the story is leaving out some important facts. (Don’t know if it is, but it’s not an uncommon event.)

[bolobaby]

Or, it sounds like the press is not telling the truth AGAIN.

[mylife]

Fla is one effed up place.

[bolobaby]

See my post above with the full complaint.

The press is lying again.

[Enterprise]

This may be another media fraud to portray someone as innocent when in fact she engaged in thuggish behavior. Going to the page at the link there is a suggestion that she was at HIS home, not HERS. And if she had put a restraining order on him, she could not turn around and claim he was violating it. Plus, one poster had this:

"1-She left the house to get a gun out of her car and went back into the house to shoot.

2-You can't leave a situation, come back, and then claim stand your ground. She had several options of retreat and chose not to use them so her claims of being in danger don't stand. Your duty is to retreat first and only use deadly force if you can't retreat.

3-There are no warning shots. In most states it is illegal to discharge a firearm even as a warning. If you feel a warning shot is warranted than no shot is warranted.

[keats5]

Yep. Let’s not take the press statements as facts just yet. Haven’t we learned our lesson yet?

[Darteaus94025]

The wife is w***e and the husband is b***k?

[snarkytart]

Its so funny and pathetic all at the same time to see how utterly childish the libtards act when they don't get their way. Unfortunately they ruin lives with their zealotry.

[Wanderer99]

If this is true then one would have to be very stupid to live in Florida. The entire community should be RIOTING over this verdict.

[lastchance]

It pretty much is the whole story. I agree with the judge that “Stand Your Ground Law” does not apply. I do have problems with the prosecutor (Corey again) levying a charge of “aggravated assault with a deadly weapon” for trial when they were willing to offer a plea for a lesser charge.

[mylife]

That makes more sense.

[P-Marlowe]

Florida is one one really screwed up state.

I’m betting the jury thought she’d get 20 days plus a small fine.

Keeping the possible sentence from a jury before they determine guilt is insanity. The penalty is something a jury should know before determining whether or not to convict.

I was booted from jury duty when I told a judge that I would NOT follow his instructions if I had any idea that doing so might result in a miscarriage of justice.

I gave a couple of examples like this. They thanked me for coming and said I was excused.

Remember this case the next time you need to get out of jury duty.