Via WiscoDave
This absolutely insane. Mind boggling.
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.
More @ WTSP
Her mistake was leaving a witness.
ReplyDeleteEvidently, but she did absolutely no wrong. Asinine.
DeleteAlexander was not convicted of firing warning shots, she was convicted of Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon while using a firearm. Alexander fired her gun through a wall, behind which were children, had the round deflected down, it would have struck one of her children, however the round deflected up. Also Alexander did not apply lethal force to defend herself, had she shot her husband, she possibly would not have been charged with anything. The fourth rule of firearms safety, be aware of your target and what is beyond it. Every round that goes down range has a lawyer attached to it.
ReplyDeleteAlso if you read further, here, http://www.oregonherald.com/bnews/story.htm?id=643, Alexander left her husbands residence retrieved a gun from her car and returned to the house, then ended up firing a "warning shot" which could have killed a child. I personally don't have a problem with the results.
Thanks and throws new light upon it. Hopefully the governor will reduce her time as I certainly do not believe she serves 20 years.
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