ah, Florida

[wodehouse]

So, during my daily early morning reading of news sites there were a number of articles related to Zimmerman, to which I didn't pay too much attention. Then I ran across this trial from last year, Florida wife gets 20 years in prison for firing warning shots at her estranged husband, who allegedly was a wife-beater.

www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57433184/fla-mom-gets-20-years-for-firing-warning-shots/

[mmhmm]

All I can say is:  Wow!  She didn't shoot the guy.  She fired warning shots and she goes up for 20 years?  I'm going to see what I can find that might have more detail on this case.  It may be a wild goose chase, but I'd really like to know more about this one in light of what's just happened in the GZ/TM case.

[nogooddeed]

He must not have been wearing a hoodie and carrying Skittles.  Terrible decision.

[mmhmm]

Here's an article from Huffpo that seems to contain unbiased information about this case:

Huffington Post - Marissa Alexander Case

[swamp]

And that's what mandatory sentencing laws get you. 

[zibazinski]

If she'd shot him, maybe different outcome?

[Deleted]

I've heard about the case but having not read the article...I'm going to guess the reason she got the time is because of negligence.

Firing a bullet without regard as to where it is going to land is negligence.

Also...this case and the GZ case have no bearing on one another. People need to quit comparing two completely different things.

[souldoubt]

Two different cases aside some of the articles out there seem to be misrepresenting the facts and mmhmm's link shows the court transcript describing what happened.  She got a gun from her car during an argument then proceeded to point it at her husband while her children were standing NEXT to him and shot at him narrowly missing his head and luckily their kids in the process.  In that moment her life was not in danger, they had a verbal argument and her response was to point a loaded weapon at her husband and children. 

[Deleted]

If you are going to fire a shot, make sure it kills the intended targets.  Dead men can't testify that they weren't coming at your neck to strangle you.

[hoops902]

Jul 15, 2013 12:15:31 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

If you are going to fire a shot, make sure it kills the intended targets.  Dead men can't testify that they weren't coming at your neck to strangle you.

Based on her own testimony, she was gone, then came back into the house with the gun. 

And "warning shot" is just code for "I missed".  So she got 20 years for attempted murder, I don't see how that's so outrageous. 

[Deleted]

Jul 15, 2013 12:21:53 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Jul 15, 2013 12:15:31 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

If you are going to fire a shot, make sure it kills the intended targets.  Dead men can't testify that they weren't coming at your neck to strangle you.

Based on her own testimony, she was gone, then came back into the house with the gun. 

And "warning shot" is just code for "I missed".  So she got 20 years for attempted murder, I don't see how that's so outrageous. 

Sounds like she should have shot the witness.

[hoops902]

Jul 15, 2013 12:22:44 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Jul 15, 2013 12:21:53 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Based on her own testimony, she was gone, then came back into the house with the gun. 

And "warning shot" is just code for "I missed".  So she got 20 years for attempted murder, I don't see how that's so outrageous. 

Sounds like she should have shot the witness.

She should have shot her kids?

[Deleted]

Jul 15, 2013 12:24:01 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Jul 15, 2013 12:22:44 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Sounds like she should have shot the witness.

She should have shot her kids?

 exactly.

[Peace Of Mind]

Jul 15, 2013 12:22:44 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Jul 15, 2013 12:21:53 GMT -5 hoops902 said:

Based on her own testimony, she was gone, then came back into the house with the gun. 

And "warning shot" is just code for "I missed".  So she got 20 years for attempted murder, I don't see how that's so outrageous. 

Sounds like she should have shot the witness.

  It's a shame but after recent events that is what I have learned too.  <<goes to purchase gun for "just in case">> 

[The Captain]

Umm, it was his kids that were by him, not her kids (from mmhmm's link).

She also violated probation and attacked him.

I'm not sure what the punishment should be for discharging a weapon by children, but something if off with her.

[Phoenix84]

The two cases are completely different.  And there's a fine line between "warning shots" and "attempted murder."  Anyone who misses is of course going to call it a "warning shot."  Even when firing warning shots, that shows extreme negligence.  Firing bullets at random in a suberban setting is just asking for an accident.  She's lucky she didn't hit some kid walking by or sleeping at home.

[midjd]

So a closer analogy would be if GZ's bullet had gone through TM and whizzed by a bystander? It is indeed very careless to be discharging a firearm in suburbia.

Next time someone with a gun is tailing me, I'm grabbing a human shield. Can't be too careful. 

[Bob Ross]

Jul 15, 2013 15:30:46 GMT -5 midjd said:

Next time someone with a gun is tailing me, I'm grabbing a human shield. Can't be too careful. 

I find that fat people work best, for obvious reasons.

[Sum Dum Gai]

I find that fat people work best, for obvious reasons.

But not too fat.  You've still got to be able to shuffle them along if you need to move.

[Deleted]

She's got a bad attorney.  IF she was actually abused & fearful of the guy, they could have argued PTSD on her behalf.  A battered woman will do things that seem illogical because of the stress disorder.  

My learning . . . warning shot = 20 years, shoot him dead = 25 years.  

She is clearly a drama queen and has anger issues based on the further info Huff shares.

[ZaireinHD]

Laughing now!
it's a warning shot when you miss your target!

[mmhmm]

Jul 15, 2013 12:37:21 GMT -5 The Captain said:

Umm, it was his kids that were by him, not her kids (from mmhmm's link).

She also violated probation and attacked him.

I'm not sure what the punishment should be for discharging a weapon by children, but something if off with her.

There's quite a bit "off".  In her favor, she was not "out" and came back.  She'd gone to the garage which was locked, so she couldn't get out without coming back into the house.

That said, she fired the gun in the direction of her husband and his two children.  Additionally, after her original arrest (before her trial - out on bail?) she went back to his house to get something signed.  If you're afraid for your life, I wouldn't think you'd return to the home of the person you say is the threat to your life.

[Tennesseer]

Too much crazy stuff going on in Florida as of late.  The Bahamas have been awfully quiet for a very long time.  Let's give Florida to the Bahamas for a while.

[geenamercile]

it's a warning shot when you miss your target!

That is what my mom claim the first shot was, 2nd shot she admits she was aiming at my dad.  She got 5 years I think, I would have to go look, 8 months in jail, the rest she is on probation, 2 years supervised.  Guess it all depends on what state you are in.  

[Angel!]

It seems the only difference in the two cases is he was left alive to counter her side of the story. Otherwise it seems killing a husband of a history of abuse when he threatens to kill you and you are cornered would be fine.

[Shooby]

That does seem excessive.  Nobody was hurt.  If she fired a "warning" shot and it harmed someone, then fine but that is ridiculous.