How many years did Marissa Alexander serve?
three years
Alexander’s conviction was overturned on appeal. As she was awaiting a new trial, she negotiated a plea agreement that allowed her to serve three years in prison and two years confined to her house.
Is Marissa Alexander still in jail?
In May 2012, 31-year-old Marissa Alexander was prosecuted for aggravated assault with a lethal weapon and received a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. Alexander was released on January 27, 2015, under a plea deal that capped her sentence to the three years she had already served.
Why was Marissa Alexander found guilty?
Despite Alexander’s defense that she was “Standing Her Ground,” using lethal force to protect herself, and despite no one being injured in the incident, she was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Florida carries a minimum sentence of 20 years for such a conviction.
Are warning shots legal in Florida?
Florida recently enacted (2014) a new so-called “warning shot” law. Basically, it allows for people to avoid criminal prosecution if they fire a warning shot or threaten to use a gun in order to defuse a hostile situation.
Is Marissa Alexander free?
27, 2017, when authorities went to Marissa Alexander’s Northside home and cut off her ankle bracelet. After five years of imprisonment, she was finally free. Alexander hopped in her car and drove across town to her sisters’ house in Mandarin.
Can you pull a gun on a trespasser in Florida?
The state’s “Stand Your Ground” law is unlike the self-defense laws in other states, which state that you must retreat first before using a firearm, knife or other type of deadly force. As long as they are not trespassing onto someone else’s property, they can use deadly force to defend themselves.
Can you fire a warning shot?
Although the firing of a warning shot is not per se legally forbidden, one should be aware that if they fire a warning shot, it is highly likely that their conduct will be judged under the legal standard that they have used deadly force and not just mere force.
What is free Marissa?
Free Marissa Now is an alliance of organizations and activists working to free Marissa Alexander. The core organizing team includes members from African-American/Black Women’s Cultural Alliance, New Jim Crow Movement, and INCITE!. Local partners who collaborate on organizing projects.
What is a warning shot called?
A warning shot is a military and/or police term describing an intentionally harmless artillery shot or gunshot with intent to enact direct compliance and order to a hostile perpetrator or enemy force. It is recognized as signalling intended confrontations on land, sea, and air.
Are warning shots authorized?
Aviation Law Enforcement Operations: Authorized USCG, CBP, and ICE personnel conducting aviation law enforcement operations may use warning shots only as a signal to an aircraft to change course and follow direction to leave the airspace, and only after all other available means of signaling have failed.