Marissa Alexander is a Florida mother who made national news around the same time as George Zimmerman. But her case received special attention because she was, by all accounts, an abused woman. Alexander had given birth nine days before she shot at her abusive husband, Rico Gray, who had accused her of being unfaithful and that the baby was not his offspring.
Alexander contends that her husband attempted to assault her once again, but this time Alexander retrieved a handgun and fired a warning shot — striking no one. However since there were children in the room when she discharged the weapon and it was the private home of Rico Gray, she was charged and prosecuted for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Alexander attempted to use Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law as defense but it was denied. State Prosecutor Angela Corey offered her a plea deal before she went to trial but Alexander rejected the offer of three years in prison. Now Alexander is facing the mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in jail.
A retrial was ordered and this week Duval County Circuit Court Judge James Daniel rejected 33-year-old Marissa Alexander’s request to use the defense at her retrial. Alexander’s new trial is scheduled to begin Dec. 1, 2014.
