Marissa Alexander released

[AGB]

Marissa Alexander released from jail for Thanksgiving

Marissa Alexander is free from jail in time to spend Thanksgiving with family she has not seen for much of the last three years.

The Florida woman – who had been serving a 20-year sentence for firing what she described as a warning shot at her abusive husband – was released from jail Wednesday night, according to a report from First Coast News. Her bond was set at $200,009.

Although no one was injured in the incident, a jury convicted Alexander of multiple counts of aggravated assault with a firearm in 2012, requiring a 20 year sentence thanks to Florida’s “10-20-Life” law, which sets mandatory minimum sentences for crimes committed with a gun. Her conviction was overturned in September when a judge ordered a retrial after finding that the jury instructions in her original trial were erroneous and had unfairly put the burden on Alexander to prove that she had fired her shot in self-defense.

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[the flying reindeer]

I remember reading about this woman around the same time that George Zimmerman shot Tryvon Martin or was going on trial for that. I remember thinking about the difference between the two cases. Zimmerman shot and killed a black youth and all H broke loose. While a woman fired a warning shot at an abusive husband and no one seemed to care. Zimmerman was judged not guilty and she got 20 years. Where is the justice in that? What's the lesson - if you're a woman, don't expect any help from your government from abuse by your husband and if you try to defend yourself, you'll go to prison and he will be free to abuse someone else.

[AGB]

Nov 29, 2013 15:54:11 GMT -5 the flying reindeer said:

I remember reading about this woman around the same time that George Zimmerman shot Tryvon Martin or was going on trial for that. I remember thinking about the difference between the two cases. Zimmerman shot and killed a black youth and all H broke loose. While a woman fired a warning shot at an abusive husband and no one seemed to care. Zimmerman was judged not guilty and she got 20 years. Where is the justice in that? What's the lesson - if you're a woman, don't expect any help from your government from abuse by your husband and if you try to defend yourself, you'll go to prison and he will be free to abuse someone else.

She did get help from her government from abuse by her husband, like the restraining order she chose to ignore. I am glad she will be retried. She's made dumb choices, repeatedly... but 20 years over an incident where no one was killed or even injured is excessive, not justice.

[the flying reindeer]

AGB - Restraining orders have not worked too well too often for most women to rely on them. Time after time they are violated with no action taken by authorities to enforce them.

[Tennesseer]

Maybe with her new trial in late March, jurors will decide three years in jail and prison is enough of a sentence.  Convict her if you must but simply put her on parole.

[AGB]

Nov 29, 2013 16:17:25 GMT -5 the flying reindeer said:

AGB - Restraining orders have not worked too well too often for most women to rely on them. Time after time they are violated with no action taken by authorities to enforce them.

Understood. But she tied the authorities' hands in many, many ways. After being granted a restraining order, Alexander had consensual and unprotected sex with her abuser, which resulted in having a child with him. She had the restraining order modified so they could live together, and the two were eventually married. I believe she also requested to have the charges against him dropped.

The day of the incident, having separated from her husband two months earlier, two weeks after they were married, and knowing his abusive history, she made the decision to go to the marital home she was no longer living in. She did not arrange for a police escort, she went by herself, and instead of picking up some things while he was gone, like she had planned to do, she spent the night and remained in the home until he came back that morning with the kids. After playing happy family for a while, things went south.

I do not sit in judgment over her, I've made my share of mistakes, yet those are the facts. This is not a matter of a restraining order not working too well; Alexander refused to accept the truth about the man she loved and continually put herself at risk over a period of months.

[the flying reindeer]

She may have made bad decisions, but did that warrant 20 years in prison? She didn't hurt anyone, let alone kill her abuser. 20 years in prison? I hope her retrial at least results in "time served" and she is set free. If would be better for her record if she was declared not guilty.

[thyme4change]

Seems more like a problem with mandatory sentence laws.  If she was guilty and there were no mandatory sentencing laws, the judge has some leeway.  But because of some indecent injustice going the other way, the state determined they didn't trust their judge's judgement.  So, they basically automated that portion of their job.  

She does sound like a messed up soul.  Clearly the relationship is broken, and she needs to find a way to move on instead of continuing to poke the bear.  And I am NOT saying the abuse is her fault.