Courtesy of The Grio
A judge on Friday sentenced a Jacksonville mother to 20 years in prison for firing a gun over the head of her husband, who she claimed physically abused her.
Marissa Alexander, 31, testified that Rico Gray physically assaulted her on August 1, 2010, before she fled to the garage, and, unable to exit through the malfunctioning automatic door opener, returned to the kitchen with her gun. She fired a shot over Grey’s head, causing a bullet to lodge in the ceiling. Grey and his two sons testified that they were together in the kitchen and in fear of their lives, though one of the sons later changed his story, testifying that he and his brother were never in danger.
Alexander’s attorney presented a “stand your ground” defense — attempting to utilize the Florida law has come to national prominence in the Trayvon Martin case — but a judge ruled against her, saying that by returning to the house, she demonstrated that she was not in fear.
The case was prosecuted by the office of Angela Corey, who is now prosecuting Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman.
Corey has said that Alexander acted out of anger, not fear.
The 20 year sentence was a mandatory minimum under Florida’s 10-20-Life law, which mandates sentences for crimes involving a firearm.