Don't Fire a Warning Shot. Woman Sentenced to 20 Years

[Traveshamockery]

Woman sentenced to 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot at her attacking abusive husband. Based on the article's details, the shooting would probably have been deemed justified if she'd just shot him instead.

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2012-05-11/story/jacksonville-woman-sentenced-20-years-prison-stand-your-ground


Alexander, 31, was convicted in March of three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in an August 2010 shooting. Alexander has maintained her innocence, saying she fired only a “warning shot” when confronted by her attacking, threatening husband, 36-year-old Rico Gray.

Several of Alexander’s family and friends spoke during the hearing, criticizing “the system” for not protecting her and begging Circuit Judge James Daniel to show her mercy. But the judge said Florida’s “10-20-Life” statutes take any discretion he might have afforded her out of his hands.
...
“When she [Alexander] discharges a firearm in the direction of human beings, the Legislature says it’s dangerous,” Corey told Brown. “And one of the reasons is because the bullet went through the wall where one of the children was standing. It happened to deflect up into the ceiling, but if it had deflected down it could have hit one of the children.”

[Moose-Knuckle]

Sadly, just another sign of the times here in the once upon a time Land of the Free . . .

[Don Robison]

What hung her was the fact that she left the house and went to the garage retrieved her gun and then came back and shot. These two had no business being married or having kids. They both have multiple domestic violence arrests.

[PA PATRIOT]

Her stand your ground defense was rejected because she exited the house into a garage got the gun and then returned inside the house and popped a shot at the hubby, the court found that she was not endangered at that time she was inside the garage and armed so she had no reason to reenter the house.

They have a 10-20-Life and she got 20 years so I wonder what crime the first 10 was used for.

Now I'M all for woman defending theirself against DV but something just does not smell right here.

[Spiffums]

Her stand your ground defense was rejected because she exited the house into a garage got the gun and then returned inside the house and popped a shot at the hubby, the court found that she was not endangered at that time she was inside the garage and armed so she had no reason to reenter the house.

They have a 10-20-Life and she got 20 years so I wonder what crime the first 10 was used for.

Now I'M all for woman defending theirself against DV but something just does not smell right here.


Did her lawyer try to argue that women and men in an environment of Domestic Violence are always in a state of danger? Sounds like it would be a good director for a lawyer to go.

[Iraqgunz]

I'd be willing to bet that there is more to this story.

[Sensei]

Her stand your ground defense was rejected because she exited the house into a garage got the gun and then returned inside the house and popped a shot at the hubby, the court found that she was not endangered at that time she was inside the garage and armed so she had no reason to reenter the house.

They have a 10-20-Life and she got 20 years so I wonder what crime the first 10 was used for.

Now I'M all for woman defending theirself against DV but something just does not smell right here.

Pulling the gun gets her 10 years in FL, firing it in the commission of a felony gets her 20.

People who do their due diligence and actually research this case know that this woman was no saint. The shot that she fired was actually in the direction of her ex-husband and his kids. The fact that she almost shot a child was a significant part of the prosecution's case. The round missed, struck the wall next to him, and ricochetted into the ceiling. She did not simply fire the weapon into the air. She was also offered a plea deal to serve 3 years which she refused and gambled on a sympathetic jury - she lost.

I hope that she enjoys the 20 years of lesbian sex. Good riddance.

[mikelowrey]

Where's Joey! when you need him? I though he said you can shoot a warning shot?

Unfreakingbelievable ... :o

[Waylander]

IIRC this happened before the Zimmerman case and his supporters were using this against Angela Corey who also filed the charges on this woman I believe. They made her sound so innocent and this was around the same time an older guy with a not so checkered past got arrested for firing warning shots at a few thug kids. Unless the info given on that guy was skewed as well.

[SteyrAUG]

Thank you DECADES of social engineering which has taught most uninformed people that you are REQUIRED to give people a chance, declare "I have a gun", fire a warning shot and if all else fails try and just shoot them in the leg or something.

That said...


1.1 Treat firearms as if they are loaded
1.2 Point the muzzle away from non-targets
1.3 Keep fingers off the trigger
1.4 Be sure of your target and of what is beyond it

Knowing and following those 4 simple rules could have saved her. We'd be singing a far different tune if she shot a kid.