Fla. mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots - Polidicks

[url]http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57433184/fla-mom-gets-20-years-for-firing-warning-shots/[/url] [quote](CBS News) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida woman who fired warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville had said the state's "Stand Your Ground" law should apply to her because she was defending herself against her allegedly abusive husband when she fired warning shots inside her home in August 2010. She told police it was to escape a brutal beating by her husband, against whom she had already taken out a protective order. CBS Affiliate WETV reports that Circuit Court Judge James Daniel handed down the sentence Friday. Under Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing requirements Alexander could receive a lesser sentence, even though she has never been in trouble with the law before. Judge Daniel said the law did not allow for extenuating or mitigating circumstances to reduce the sentence below the 20-year minimum. ... Alexander's case has drawn support from domestic abuse advocates - and comparison to the case of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who has claimed a "Stand Your Ground" defense in his fatal shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.[/quote]

A fourth of your life for self defense and holding yourself back. Think she'd get less if she shot him in the leg?

Should have killed him. Warning shots are never a good idea.

[QUOTE=g1real;41360971]A fourth of your life for self defense and holding yourself back. Think she'd get less if she shot him in the leg?[/QUOTE] Well if it's below the waist it isn't attempted murder, just assault with a deadly weapon, assuming they don't bleed to death.

[del]Sounds like she got 20 years for choosing the only option where neither of them get hurt, well that's lovely. Under 'stand your ground', she might have had a better chance if she'd just killing him right then.[/del]

source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL]

[quote]Judge Daniel said the law did not allow for extenuating or mitigating circumstances to reduce the sentence below the 20-year minimum[/quote] This is the stupidest fucking thing ever. Situations are rarely black/white. How is this [B]justice[/B]?

People in the Netherlands get less for actual murder.

Am I the only one who finds it sad that due to how the world works that in this world its preferable to take a life instead of trying to spare it?

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] yeah, this pretty much changes everything.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] welp

She should have blown his brains out and claimed self defense, she probably would have walked.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] Oh wow, I guess CBS news shouldn't be counted as reliable then.

Well you heard the court ladies and gents. Warning shots are a waste of time and ammo. Go for the head! /sarcasm

[QUOTE=FPtje;41361060]People in the Netherlands get less for actual murder.[/QUOTE] IIRC when my mom worked for a private corrections company the students she taught were getting 5 years for murder and 15 for attempted murder and upwards of 20+ for drug trafficing. The state of the U.S. justice system is beyond fucked up. [QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] Just read it, the stupid bitch had what was coming to her.

[QUOTE=snapshot32;41361335]IIRC when my mom worked for a private corrections company the students she taught were getting 5 years for murder and 15 for attempted murder and upwards of 20+ for drug trafficing. The state of the U.S. justice system is beyond fucked up.[/QUOTE] untaxable income is literally worse than murder, and it's easier to fill the voids of for-profit prisons with drug offenders than murderers

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] Even if this is true, 20 years for a shot that didn't hit anyone and (supposedly) was not meant to hit anyone is ridiculous.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] i wonder if that is really true, or the husband lying. especially since what generally tends to be the rule.

[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41361450]Even if this is true, 20 years for a shot that didn't hit anyone and (supposedly) was not meant to hit anyone is ridiculous.[/QUOTE] She should get a small stint in jail, if that.

[QUOTE=Yahnich;41361520]uhm, she might be at fault but 20 years for a shot that didn't hit anyone is still bullshit i really doubt even attempt at murder gives you 20 years[/QUOTE] The way the case was handled when she shot she shot at 3 people. Granted the sentence may be gratuitous I think its appropriate considering she almost killed one of her kids.

[QUOTE=FPtje;41361060]People in the Netherlands get less for actual murder.[/QUOTE] People get less everywhere for an actual murder. This is as if she fired warning shots and somehow hit the Queen of Something Important.

[QUOTE=Aetna;41361516]She should get a small stint in jail, if that.[/QUOTE] She should definitely get jail time, shooting a gun around people is dangerous and should definitely warrant some serious punishment if it's not in self defense, but 20 years is a really long for a crime in which no one actually got hurt.

[QUOTE=Yahnich;41361742]no it's not, she fired one bullet ergo she could have shot one person[/QUOTE] But the fact that bullet could have killed any of 3 people means that she was charged with 3 counts of aggravated assault, which stacked and she got 20 years. Even if you don't kill or maim someone you can still be charged with assault. Personally I think maybe 10 years with parole and a stint in some anger management would suffice, but that's just how the shit went down.

[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41361450]Even if this is true, 20 years for a shot that didn't hit anyone and (supposedly) was not meant to hit anyone is ridiculous.[/QUOTE] Yeah I agree - the US system is at times utterly insane. That said I have a feeling she might have had a longer rapsheet which led to a lot of other stuff. But 20 years is still insane.

You are never supposed to fire a warning shot nor attempt to injure. A firearm is only to be used to protect your own life by immediate ending a threat, not trying to pull non-lethal trick shots or scare someone into doing what you say. A firearm is a killing tool, not a compliance tool. The fact that you're holding a gun is warning enough. As for the sentence, twenty years seems excessive but there's clearly more to the story than the article lets on, so I'd wait to pass judgment until all facts come to light.

[QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] Put this into OP immediately, before the Boxavalanche can't be stopped.

[QUOTE=Used Car Salesman;41361234]She should have blown his brains out and claimed self defense, she probably would have walked.[/QUOTE] Only works if the person you shoot has skittles Maybe she should have claimed that she didn't fire a warning shot but instead thought she saw a bag of skittles in the distance

The guy would have get less if he actually beat her to death, and she would have get less if she actually killed him directly. This is just fucking retarded [editline]8th July 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Sparkwire;41361040]source doesnt have the full story [URL]http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-16/story/marissa-alexanders-husband-says-it-was-her-violent-nature-led-shooting[/URL][/QUOTE] Oh....wait But wait, my point still stands though...

[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;41361628]She should definitely get jail time, shooting a gun around people is dangerous and should definitely warrant some serious punishment if it's not in self defense, but 20 years is a really long for a crime in which no one actually got hurt.[/QUOTE] Their feelings got hurt. We can't have hurt feelings in the United Hugbox. :v:

NONE of you guys are reading the whole article.