September 26th, 2013
12:11 PM ET

New trial ordered for woman in controversial warning-shot case

An appellate court has ordered a new trial for Marissa Alexander, a 31-year-old mother of three, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison last year for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband.

Alexander unsuccessfully tried to use Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law to derail the prosecution, but a jury convicted her of aggravated assault after just 12 minutes of deliberation.

The case gained the attention of civil rights leaders who say the African-American woman was persecuted because of her race.

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Filed under: Courts • Florida • Justice
soundoff (57 Responses)
  1. chrissy

    20 years for a warning shot to an abusive husband??? But if she had been like GZ and killed the deserving SOB she coulda been free! Go freakin figure!

    September 26, 2013 at 12:35 pm | Report abuse |
  2. chrissy

    Someone REALLY needs to look into Floridas judicial process! And even more into how and why battered women are NOT being protected and why abusive men have MORE rights than the women they abuse and torture! There is SOMETHING very wrong with all 3 of these things!

    September 26, 2013 at 12:57 pm | Report abuse |
    • Hamsta

      Because most of the time it is the woman's fault. My sister is a "battered woman" it's like they look for guys that beat on them. Both of the men she married beat her and herlast 6 boyfriends. I'm sick of replacing car windows, holes in walls and replacing tires. When she calls me with that stupid stuff I ttell her to pay someone to fix it and when she's tired of paying for it she will stop messing with that type of man.

      September 26, 2013 at 6:25 pm | Report abuse |
    • Triumph

      So instead of helping your sister get away from an abuser, you blame her. A very cold, misogynist response from a shallow, intellectually deficient person who constantly cries victim himself. I pray that you get what you so richly deserve: a life of angst ant contempt.

      September 26, 2013 at 6:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      Women are attracted to the type of men they grew up with. What was happening in YOUR childhood home, Hamsta?
      Given your tendency for hyperbole, I doubt what you say is anywhere near true.

      September 26, 2013 at 7:57 pm | Report abuse |
  3. banasy©

    Good. Because this was an absolutely ridiculous case, and the fact that it onluy took 12 minutes to convict means they didn't go over any evidence at all.
    I suppose if she had actually killed him she would be free.

    September 26, 2013 at 1:01 pm | Report abuse |
  4. saywhat

    Appears so@banasy. This is ridiculous, hope she gets justice now.

    September 26, 2013 at 1:06 pm | Report abuse |
  5. chrissy

    Im sayin! @ banasy, this just totally TICKS me off! You know i really hate that "R" word but every one of those jurors must be! And to top it off i just took my best friends bf's sons gf to the hospital with 2 black eyes and a broken cheekbone that im quite sure you know how she got them! And now you gotta know im just hatin that species called male right now huh?

    September 26, 2013 at 1:08 pm | Report abuse |
    • Observer

      According to the insane logic of Hamsta, she must have asked for it somehow. It's always easier to blame the victim than to examine one's own misogynist ways. More comfortable.

      September 26, 2013 at 8:06 pm | Report abuse |
  6. chrissy

    Yea ok @ rupert and now i spose you're going to say what "you would NEVER do that huh?"

    September 26, 2013 at 1:12 pm | Report abuse |
  7. chrissy

    Lol guess you can put whatever spin on it you want @ rupert. Just remember ive been on the recieving end of some of your vile language.

    September 26, 2013 at 1:50 pm | Report abuse |
  8. chrissy

    Lolololol

    September 26, 2013 at 2:06 pm | Report abuse |
  9. banasy©

    When people realize that emotional and psychological abuse is every bit as devastating as physical abuse, this conversation can go forward. Insecure men who claim to treat their women right who then turn around and debase and belittle them should turn their "man" card in. They aren't.

    September 26, 2013 at 2:42 pm | Report abuse |
  10. chrissy

    Thank you @ banasy! And as a woman who has suffered both kinds of abuse i can honestly say that mental and verbal abuse is far worse than physical because the physical pain goes away but the mental and verbal pain NEVER goes away!

    September 26, 2013 at 2:52 pm | Report abuse |
  11. zaggs

    Reason why she was found guilty is because she was able to leave without hindrance. Therefore stand your ground and self defense are not applicable.

    September 26, 2013 at 2:55 pm | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      As I said, if she had killed him instead of just warning him, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
      At most she should have been found guilty of illegally discharging a firearm, or something along those lines. For heaven's sake, she didn't even hit him, but that warning shot prevented hime from hitting her.

      September 26, 2013 at 4:25 pm | Report abuse |
  12. chrissy

    Thats a truly dumb thing to say! She should have to leave her home AND children instead of this joker going to jail for assault and battery?? Well same coulda been said for GZ he coulda left instead of staulking and killing a teenager! Let me guess @ zaggs, you're male aint ya? And probably an abusive one at that!

    September 26, 2013 at 3:10 pm | Report abuse |
  13. chrissy

    Oh and then on top of ALL this we have the rapist teacher released today from that whopping 30 day sentence!

    September 26, 2013 at 3:12 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Rascal Rabble

    ....only in gator country florida...

    September 26, 2013 at 6:38 pm | Report abuse |
  15. chrissy

    Exactly @ Triumph, abusers always say its the womans fault doncha know.

    September 26, 2013 at 6:57 pm | Report abuse |
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