A few weeks ago we told you about Marissa Alexander, a Florida woman facing a 20-year sentence for what she considers standing her ground. In a 2010 altercation, Marissa fired a warning shot in the air in fear of her life when her reportedly abusive husband cornered her in the home. Though no one was shot or injured during the shooting, Marissa was charged and convicted on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and her case is quickly coming to a close.

Initially, Marissa was offered a plea deal of three years but decided not to take it, and during her first trial, she was denied protection under the “Stand Your Ground Law” when her husband said he “begged and pleaded for my life when she had the gun.” It took a jury 12 minutes to find her guilty. Prosecutor Nick Lake said following the hearing:

“The jury decided she was not in fear when she fired the gun. She went back to his house, alone, and committed a domestic battery on him (ex-husband).”

On Thursday, Marissa went before the judge in a pre-sentencing hearing and when her lawyers requested a new trial it was denied. Now, on May 11 she will stand before the judge again to be sentenced. Under the state’s mandatory sentencing guidelines, she faces a 20-year prison sentence with no chance of early release. Knowing the odds, Marissa’s lawyer has said he plans to file an appeal after her sentencing. In an interview with CNN, Marissa told Gary Tuchman:

“This is my life I’m fighting for. If you do everything to get on the right side of the law, and it is a law that does not apply to you, where do you go from there?”

Check out the full clip of her interview segment here. Do you think Stand Your Ground should apply to Marissa?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

More on Madame Noire!

• True Life: I Was Dating a Man With a Secret…
• Who Gon’ Check Me, Boo?: Annoying Things You Should Check Your Friends About
• It’s The Most Ratchet Time of the Year: The Ugliest Prom Dresses of All Time
• Wonder What It Was Like To Date A Young Obama? 2 Ex-Girlfriends Reveal All
• Don’t Play With Me: 6 Things You Don’t Joke About With Black Women
• When Dining Goes Bad: Family Locked In Restaurant When They Refuse To Tip
• Patience is a Virtue: An Open Letter To My Future Husband

Article source: http://madamenoire.com/174002/no-new-trial-for-florida-woman-who-stood-her-ground/