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| Marissa Alexander, in prison since 2010 for defending herself. |
We all remember the Trayvon Martin case, right? A kid, carrying only a can of iced tea and a pack of Skittles, shot and killed by an overzealous neighborhood watcher, George Zimmerman. A guy who was later NOT EVEN ARRESTED, and was apparently protected under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" defense, which allowed killing if you, "reasonably believe that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to (yourself) or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony." (Re: 2011 Florida Statutes 776.016 (1))
Remember that? It was only plastered all over the news a month or two ago.
Well, apparently it isn't applied equally to all.
In Jacksonville, Florida, one Marissa Alexander, nine days after the birth of a child, was fleeing from her husband Rico Gray. She ran to the garage, but the door was jammed, so Marissa grabbed a pistol to defend herself. Upon seeing this, Rico threatened to kill her. Marissa, determined to scare him off, fired upwards. It did indeed scare him off, but the incident landed HER in jail, awaiting a sentence of 20 years in prison for "aggravated assault with a deadly weapon." Having been in jail since 2010, she had since tried to use the "Stand Your Ground" defense to get herself out, only to be denied. (Huffington Post)
Why is that? Why was she denied this, while Zimmerman (at least until the media frenzy) was allowed to be free? Was it a time thing, having been arrested before the law was enacted?
Her husband admitted in deposition that he had been in five relationships that bore children, and he "put his hands" on all except one. How is SHE the one getting punished? HE ADMITTED THAT HE IS ABUSIVE. How can a guy, in Zimmerman, be allowed to be free for RUNNING AFTER A KID AND SHOOTING HIM, while someone else who DIDN'T kill their attacker, who was RUNNING AWAY, CLEARLY IN FEAR OF HER LIFE, but still didn't kill her attacker, being kept in prison in a mandatory 20 year sentence?
How does that work Florida? HOW DOES THAT FUCKING WORK?
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