Fla. woman in 'stand your ground' case released from jail
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Florida woman who claimed self-defense after she fired a gun at her estranged husband and his two sons was released from prison as part of a plea deal for time served.
On Tuesday, Marissa Alexander was sentenced to the 1,095 days she has already served in jail after pleading guilty to three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the 2010 shooting.
Judge James Daniel denied prosecutors' request for an additional two years of probation and ruled that Alexander will serve two years of house arrest while wearing an ankle monitor, an agreement reached in an November 2014 plea deal.
Alexander's case drew national attention, in part because she unsuccessfully tried to invoke a "stand your ground" defense.
During the trial, her attorneys said the "stand your ground" law, best known in George Zimmerman's fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, was applicable in Alexander's case. A judge threw out her self-defense claim.
"Four and a half years have passed since the events of August 1st, 2010, but today after the sentence imposed by Judge Daniel, my family and I will be able to move forward with our lives," Alexander said outside the Duval County, Fla., courthouse.
"Although the journey has been long, and there have been many difficult moments, I could not have arrived here where I am today without the many thoughts and prayers of so many people who have voiced their support and encouragement," Alexander said as she read from a prepared statement.
In 2012, Alexander was sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing what she says was a warning shot to scare off her allegedly abusive husband during a dispute. No one was hurt.
Her 2012 conviction was overturned on appeal because of an error in jury instructions.
She was released from jail in November 2013 as she awaited a new trial.
The 34-year-old faced 60 years if convicted at trial — which was slated to start Dec. 1 — because of Florida's minimum-mandatory sentencing rules when a firearm is involved.
Four witnesses testified during the sentencing trial, including one of Rico Gray's sons. Gray is Alexander's estranged husband.
Pernell Gray asked the judge for more punishment.
"My life does matter and I don't want anyone else to get hurt," said Pernell, 15.
Alexander's younger sister Elena Jenkins testified that Alexander is a loving mother who wants to put the incident behind her and move on with her life.
After the ruling, Gray said he is happy the case is over and that everyone can move forward. He said he was happy Alexander finally accepted responsibility, but he has concerns about whether she is really remorseful.
"Moving forward, I will continue to learn from the events of the past, but I will not live in the past," Alexander said.
Contributing: Anne Schindler, WJXX-TV/WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, Fla.; Jessica Durando, Paste BN Network; The Associated Press.