There has been a new development in the Marissa Alexander case and the application of the Stand Your Ground defense. The court is being asked to reconsider a new trial because critical evidence was not submitted to the judge for his consideration. The evidence in question concerns her ex-husband’s, Rico Gray, prior actions including intimidating witnesses and violent behavior. Gray gave a deposition that he “put his hands on all his baby mama’s and he would have on Marissa too if she did not have a gun” but in the courtroom testified in such a way that it appeared that he was a victim in fear of his life, because she had a gun.
Marissa Alexander is a single mother who is facing sixty years mandatory minimum in prison for firing a warning shot. Alexander hurt no one, and she stopped her ex-husband from possibly beating her to death as he backed down from the situation. However, the judge felt that she should have fled the scene and abandoned her child once she ran into her garage to get a weapon. Because of this, the judge denied her a Stand Your Ground defense.
However, according to former Florida US attorney General Kendall Coffey this is a fundamental misapplication of the Stand Your Ground law in the state of Florida. At the heart of the Florida Stand Your Ground law is you do not have to walk away from trouble, you don’t have to flee the scene. Knowing this why is Angela Corey pushing so hard for the 60 year mandatory minimum for firing a warning shot when no one is hurt, while others have shot and killed and are walking free today?
This could possibly force Marissa Alexander to make a plea deal. It’s all about advantage over a person. A defendant who believes she’s innocent must be absolutely sure that they will win their case. Otherwise, the threat of the prosecutor building charges on you will be so great, that your freedom will be taken and your life forever ruined.
