© Dignidadrebelde.comA poster as part of the free marissa movement.
Marissa Alexander may face 60 years in prison for firing what she says was a "warning shot" at her abusive estranged husband, as the Florida State Attorney's office prepares to retry her on three counts of aggravated assault.
Alexander had been serving a 20-year sentence for aggravated assault when ajudge ordered she receive a new trial, finding that the jury instructions in her original trial were erroneous. Many of her supporters cheered the announcement, believing that the mandatory minimum 20-year sentence was overly harsh for Alexander, who tried unsuccessfully to use Florida's Stand-Your-Ground law in her defense.
But Office of State Attorney Angela Corey confirmed it will seek to put Marissa Alexander in prison for 60 years as they pursue her conviction on three charges of aggravated assault after Alexander fired what she calls a warning shot in the direction of her estranged husband and two of his children.
The Free Marissa Now campaign released a statement condemning Corey's office, saying they believe she "has launched a campaign of escalating punishment of Marissa Alexander to shield herself from charges of mishandling trials and failing to secure guilty verdicts for the murders of black teens, Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin."
"A 60 year sentence for Marissa Alexander would not only be devastating for her, her children and family, and her community, it would be a decisive blow to the right to self defense for black women and all women," Free Marissa Now leader Aleta Alston-Toure said in a statement. "Incarcerating Marissa Alexander will send a strong message to all survivors that violence against them will be ignored and they instead will be subject to prosecution if they defend their lives."
Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei told the Florida Times-Union that his office was abiding by the sentencing laws of the state of Florida, which shifted after Alexander was first convicted in 2012, when the same appeals court that ordered Alexander's retrial ruled that defendants convicted of multiple counts must serve consecutive rather than concurrent sentences.
"Absent a plea agreement, if convicted as charged, the law of the State of Florida fixes the sentence," Mantei said. "At this time, Ms. Alexander has rejected all efforts by the State to resolve the case short of trial."
While she awaits her retrial, the Florida legislature has begun considering legislation that lawmakers say was inspired by Alexander's case, pushing a bill that would expand the state's so-called Stand-Your-Ground law to include warning shots.
Well personally I think this whole case is fishy. First, why did she go to where he was at in the first place if she had an injunction against him for beating her up?
Secondly, according to the media, she only shot a warning shot that hit the ceiling, but what they don't elaborate on is that the shot first went through the kitchen wall near his head, then went through the dining room ceiling.
According to a court document dated on the 17th of August, 2001, which can be viewed here: [Link] , which states:
"The defendant had not been living in the marital home for the two months leading up to the shooting. On the evening of July 31, 2010, the Defendant drove herself to the marital home and parked in the garage, closing the garage door after parking her vehicle."
[…]
"The Defendant returned to the kitchen with the firearm in her hand and pointed it in the direction of all three victims. [REDACTED] put his hands in the air. The Defendant shot at [REDACTED] nearly missing head. The bullet traveled through the kitchen wall and into the ceiling in the living room."
After reading the court document, I do not trust the media portrayal of this case at all. Even after she was released on bail she violated the court order prohibiting her from contacting her ex repeatedly. Something is seriously wrong with this picture.