Posted on 05/11/2012 12:52:39 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
(CNN) — Saying he had no discretion under state law, a judge sentenced a Jacksonville, Florida, woman to 20 years in prison Friday for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband.
Marissa Alexander unsuccessfully tried to use Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” law to derail the prosecution, but a jury in March convicted her of aggravated assault after just 12 minutes of deliberation.
The case, which was prosecuted by the same state attorney who is handling the Trayvon Martin case, has gained the attention of civil rights leaders who say the African-American woman was persecuted because of her race.
After the sentencing, Rep. Corrine Brown confronted State Attorney Angela Corey in the hallway, accusing her of being overzealous, according to video from CNN affiliate WJXT.
“There is no justification for 20 years,” Brown told Corey during an exchange frequently interrupted by onlookers. “All the community was asking for was mercy and justice,” she said.
Corey said she had offered Alexander a plea bargain that would have resulted in a three-year prison sentence, but Alexander chose to take the case to a jury trial, where a conviction would carry a mandatory sentence under a Florida law known as “10-20-life.”
The law mandates increased penalties for some felonies, including aggravated assault, in which a gun is carried or used.
(Excerpt) Read more at fox8.com ...
Sucks to live in Fla.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/annanorth/the-9-events-that-led-to-marissa-alexanders-reve
Going to be interesting to watch Sharpton, Jackson, Holder and Obama trying to justify SYG in this case but want it used to hang Zimmerman in the Treyvon case.
I predict heads will start exploding.
I’m going to make up a huge batch of popcorn for this one.
No kidding. Call it manslaughter and she is out in four.
And, if you're not white and fire a weapon in self defense and are prosecuted it's racist....
Let's cut the crap here, if you're white it's racist....
10 is to have a gun when comitting a crime, 20 if you use it and life if you kill (injure maybe?) someone with it.
Dead men tell no tales.
“Otherwise, what’s the 10 for in 10/20/life?”
Use a gun in the commission of a felony=10 years
Fire the gun while committing that felony=20 years
If the bullet hits someone=life, can also be DEATH if that person is killed....
The anti-gun crowd did this. We have a law here that gives a mandatory sentence for any crime involving a gun.
Let’s not jump to conclusions, as the MEDIA seems so eager to do when it comes to these things.
I will say that IF this is really “as reported” (and we have plenty of reason to doubt the Obama ass kissing media), then perhaps Governor Scott can commute her sentence and/or pardon her. :)
Assuming that the woman had good reason to fear for her safety at the time she fired the shot it sounds like the husband got off *real* easy.I’ll wager that this prosecutor believes that only “beautiful people” like herself have the right to defend themselves and all others can just take what’s coming to them.
Zimmerman prosecutor under fire (video - a different case)
After Zimmerman is acquitted he needs to sue her and the state of FL for wrongful imprisonment.
There is a very important thing that habitual criminals know: whoever calls the police FIRST controls the narrative. Here he was, in violation of a restraining order, having threatened her. Police were going to be coming because of the shot. The thing to do is be the one calling the police and making it all about HER threatening HIM. The police thereupon arrested her, and the case acquired momentum.
Never fire a warning shot. ALWAYS be sure to be the first one to call police, and have your story be the one they hear.
Zimmerman has a big advantage in his case: his side of the story is the only side the police heard.
It's not just her. Corey offered a plea deal of three years, and when it was rejected Corey tried her best to get the woman convicted for 20, and an example to the others who might dare to reject a plea deal.
Well that’s just great. She’s in for 20 and the POS who brags about beating 4 of his 5 baby mamas is still free. Makes me recall why I liked that old show The Equalizer.
I’m not following why you’re saying “it’s not just her?” Corey is the prosecutor in all three cases.
Exactly. With the cost of ammunition these days, I can't believe anyone would waste money on a warning shot.
I meant "It's not just Corey, lots of other prosecutors work the same way". When a prosecutor has a defendant she thinks will be easy to railroad into a conviction, she will go for it.
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