#freemarissa

Today is January 27, 2017, the day that Marissa Alexander isl finally freed from house detention and all forms of state confinement!! Here is a statement from Marissa and her family: 

"We are grateful to God that this chapter of Marissa's life will come to a close on January 27, 2017. We are sincerely thankful and appreciative to all who rallied, supported and prayed for Marissa's release. As she enters a new chapter, with endless possibilities, we ask that you will continue to support Marissa through her non-profit organization that was established to end domestic violence and injustice in the criminal justice system, The Marissa Alexander Justice Project. Without you, today would not be possible. Thank you again and again."

Free Marissa Now statement at the link above. Marissa Alexander Justice Project: http://forgottenmajority.net/index.php/category/marissa-alexander-justice-project/

April 12, 2016

After defending her life from her abusive husband by firing a warning shot, Marissa Alexander was unjustly charged and convicted of aggravated assault with a firearm. Though she caused no injuries, Florida's 10-20-Life mandatory minimum sentencing law required that she receive a sentence of 20 years.  The judge literally said the sentence was "out of my hands."

The past couple of months have seen some important reforms to this law:  

In February, Florida legislators REPEALED part of the 10-20-Life law, allowing judges to take into account mitigating circumstances (such as domestic violence) when determining sentencing in cases where a firearm is involved.

After Marissa successfully appealed her conviction in 2013, State Prosecutor Angela Corey announced that she would re-try Marissa and this time pursue a 60 year sentence.  Marissa was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, and Corey argued that the mandatory minimum law required that multiple sentences must be served consecutively rather than concurrently. This past March, the Florida Supreme Court ruled that mandatory minimum sentences can be served concurrently according to judges' discretion.

These reforms were, in large part, inspired by Marissa's case. However, if Marissa had been convicted in a second trial rather than agree to a plea in 2014, the first reform would not have impacted her mandated sentence retroactively.

The Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign released a response:

"We welcome the weakening of mandatory minimum sentencing and congratulate all who organized to secure this hard-won legislative reform. As we have argued, mandatory minimums have been a major contributor to the hyperincarceration of black people and the warehousing of tens of thousands of people in the U.S.  They are also particularly dangerous for survivors of sexual and domestic violence who are prosecuted because the context of the violence they experience from their abusers can have no impact on sentencing decisions.

via @colorofchange: BREAKING: A judge has sentenced #MarissaAlexander to time served and two years on house arrest. We welcome Marissa home and celebrate her release from jail, while strongly condemning Florida’s disgraceful prosecution of Marissa in the first place and the fact that she remains under state control. ‪‬ ‬ Marissa should have never been charged or incarcerated. But due to Prosecutor Angela Corey’s discriminatory and inhumane prosecution of Black Floridians, and a justice system that systematically criminalizes Black women for their own abuse, Marisa faced up to 60 years for defending her self against her violently abusive partner. This is not justice.