No New Trial For Florida Woman Who Stood Her Ground

May 4th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

A few weeks ago we told you about Marissa Alexander, a Florida woman facing a 20-year sentence for what she considers standing her ground. In a 2010 altercation, Marissa fired a warning shot in the air in fear of her life when her reportedly abusive husband cornered her in the home. Though no one was shot or injured during the shooting, Marissa was charged and convicted on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and her case is quickly coming to a close.

Initially, Marissa was offered a plea deal of three years but decided not to take it, and during her first trial, she was denied protection under the “Stand Your Ground Law” when her husband said he “begged and pleaded for my life when she had the gun.” It took a jury 12 minutes to find her guilty. Prosecutor Nick Lake said following the hearing:

“The jury decided she was not in fear when she fired the gun. She went back to his house, alone, and committed a domestic battery on him (ex-husband).”

On Thursday, Marissa went before the judge in a pre-sentencing hearing and when her lawyers requested a new trial it was denied. Now, on May 11 she will stand before the judge again to be sentenced. Under the state’s mandatory sentencing guidelines, she faces a 20-year prison sentence with no chance of early release. Knowing the odds, Marissa’s lawyer has said he plans to file an appeal after her sentencing. In an interview with CNN, Marissa told Gary Tuchman:

“This is my life I’m fighting for. If you do everything to get on the right side of the law, and it is a law that does not apply to you, where do you go from there?”

Check out the full clip of her interview segment here. Do you think Stand Your Ground should apply to Marissa?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • Jenny

    This could not have been a jury of here peers! If one woman who’d suffered at the hands of an abusive man was on that jury, they would NOT have been so stringent. Even if she were the aggresor, has anyone ever heard of SNAPPING?! Being abused for so long that you go into a fit of rage?!

  • Jenny

    This could not have been a jury of here peers! If one woman who’d suffered at the hands of an abusive man was on that jury, they would NOT have been so stringent. Even if she were the aggresor, has anyone ever heard of SNAPPING?! Being abused for so long that you go into a fit of rage?!

  • Jenny

    This could not have been a jury of here peers! If one woman who’d suffered at the hands of an abusive man was on that jury, they would NOT have been so stringent. Even if she were the aggresor, has anyone ever heard of SNAPPING?! Being abused for so long that you go into a fit of rage?!

  • Jenny

    This could not have been a jury of here peers! If one woman who’d suffered at the hands of an abusive man was on that jury, they would NOT have been so stringent. Even if she were the aggresor, has anyone ever heard of SNAPPING?! Being abused for so long that you go into a fit of rage?!

  • Jenny

    This could not have been a jury of here peers! If one woman who’d suffered at the hands of an abusive man was on that jury, they would NOT have been so stringent. Even if she were the aggresor, has anyone ever heard of SNAPPING?! Being abused for so long that you go into a fit of rage?!

  • http://youtube.com/sireforhire Sire For Hire

    Lets see if they reject zimmermans plea of stand your ground.

  • http://youtube.com/sireforhire Sire For Hire

    Another one of us railroaded by this slave system.

  • Jess

    She should of shot him and had less time then when she got out he be gone and she have no worries for her life.

  • Mls2698

    I heard that her children were in the house during the altercation, she tried to leave through the garage, but did not have her car keys (may have needed to activate the door). She retrieved the gun from the garage and had to re-enter the house to leave. That’s when the real drama started. The husband was the aggressor, but then turned punk when his wife had an edge. Anyway, who cares about those facts? GZ is out and they are trying to give her how many years??? She didn’t kill anyone. Maybe if Trayvon had 12 minutes, he could have explained that he was going home. As if he needed to. Diff’rent strokes for different folks.

  • http://twitter.com/I_C_O_F Danah Gordon

    and Zimmerman is free smh

  • Dionerobertson

    Pray that people in Florida are protesting this!  Pray for Marissa Alexander!!!

    • Nina DaShotta

      OHHHH WE ARE! we have been doing so since the story broke here.

    • Nina DaShotta

      OHHHH WE ARE! we have been doing so since the story broke here.

    • Nina DaShotta

      OHHHH WE ARE! we have been doing so since the story broke here.

  • Native_Noir

    Okay, so this dude commits a “domestic battery” on her more than once and HURTS her and all he gets is probation or whatever, she commits a “domestic battery” on him and HURTS NO ONE and could get 20 years!!!! Tell me where the H that makes sense!

  • Lalatarea

    she is an idiot! she went back to his house to fire a warning at him so how is she standing her ground? she should have taken the deal because that was more than generous.

    • LadyLark

      Stupid or not something here isn’t right. 20 years without the possibility of parole?! No one eve3n got murdered. I’ve seen and read of actual murderers get way less time. This is ridiculous!

    • Miss B

      I think it’s beneficial to get as much facts as possible before judging and name calling. From what I read she went back inside of the home because she left her keys there and needed it in order to drive away, that’s when he became aggressive and she felt the need to fire a warning shot. It’s dangerous when people start twisting stories, especially on such a sensative topic.

      Anyway, this is just another reason we really need to change gun laws in the U.S. , they are essentially vague & can turn victims into offenders.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Que-Stevenson/1204180733 Que Stevenson

       What part of she couldn’t get out of the garage like she wanted to because she forgot her keys to the truck, and she couldn’t get the garage door to open don’t you understand? She ran through the kitchen to get IN the garage, in order to get OUT of the garage at this point, she has to go back into the kitchen. His behind was suppose to be gone with his sons. He already choked her in front of them why not get the gun she just registered for her protection and fire a Warning shot to finally get him to stop fkng with her and leave. Then his sorry butt called the police like he was innocent, and lied, talking bout she done went crazy all out the blue and shot at him and his sons. Boy, I tellya….People are going crazy making victims aggressors and aggressors victims. Do  you realize how many battered women will now be scared to stand up for themselves so they are not killed…..woosah…I need to stop following this case. 

      • SMHgurl24

        Yup! An wut ive read an understood about the law had she actually killed him, I dont think she would of gotten time… We now live in a world where instead,of preserving life we have to take it just to keep ourselves out of trouble.. Ashame

      • SMHgurl24

        Yup! An wut ive read an understood about the law had she actually killed him, I dont think she would of gotten time… We now live in a world where instead,of preserving life we have to take it just to keep ourselves out of trouble.. Ashame

      • SMHgurl24

        Yup! An wut ive read an understood about the law had she actually killed him, I dont think she would of gotten time… We now live in a world where instead,of preserving life we have to take it just to keep ourselves out of trouble.. Ashame

      • SMHgurl24

        Yup! An wut ive read an understood about the law had she actually killed him, I dont think she would of gotten time… We now live in a world where instead,of preserving life we have to take it just to keep ourselves out of trouble.. Ashame

    • Ms. GaFla

      Ok you need to know all the facts before you comment on the situation. First she didn’t go back to HER house she was already in the house, second why would she take a plea for something she didn’t do. True enough she fired a warning shot in the ceiling of the house not his @#$ but to get 20 yrs thats crazy. He’s the one that should be getting time, just for domestic abuse alone. So my thought we need to pray for the innocent sister because she dosen’t deserve this.

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