Florida Woman Jailed For 20yrs for Firing ‘Warning Shot’ at Abusive Husband

A Florida appeals court is ordering a new trial for a woman sentenced to 20 years to prison after she fired a warning shot in a wall during a dispute with her husband.
A state appeals court ruled that Marissa Alexander, 32, deserved a new trial because the judge failed to properly instruct the jury regarding her claim of self-defence.
But the appeals court also said the judge was right to block Alexander from using the state’s “stand your ground” law as a way to defend her actions.
Under the so-called “Stand Your Ground” law, people fearing for their lives can use deadly force without having to retreat from a confrontation, even when it is possible.

Alexander had never been arrested before she fired a bullet at a wall one day in 2010 to scare off her husband when she felt he was threatening her.
The judge at her trial however said her conviction on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon carried a mandatory 20-year sentence under state law.
The case of Alexander, who is black, drew criticism from civil rights groups concerned about self-defense laws and mandatory minimum sentencing rules.
Alexander’s fate received little attention until her May 2012 conviction in the wake of the case of volunteer watchman George Zimmerman who said he shot a teenager in self defense.
The Zimmerman case led to nationwide protests and re-ignited a debate about U.S. gun laws.