- Target:
- 2020 M St NW, Washington, DC 20036
- Region:
- United States of America
Marissa Alexander, a 31-year-old mother of a toddler and 11-year-old twins. She had claimed self-defense, tried to invoke Florida's "stand your ground" law and rejected plea deals that could have gotten her a much shorter sentence. A jury found her guilty as charged: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Because she fired a gun while committing a felony, Florida's mandatory-minimum gun law dictated the 20-year sentence.
The state's "10-20-life" law was implemented in 1999 and credited with helping to lower the violent crime rate. Anyone who shows a gun in the commission of certain felonies gets an automatic 10 years in prison. Fire the gun, and it's an automatic 20 years. Shoot and wound someone, and it's 25 years to life.
Alexander's case unfair. "Stand your ground" law did not apply for her, and she felt her life was on the line.
"We the undersigned, call on Governor Richard L. Scott and President Barack Obama, Petition of Pardon and Mercy on behalf of Marissa Alexander of the state of Florida who exercised the "Stand your Ground" law who received 20 years, and killed no one she shot a warning shot in the air to scare her attacker away."
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The Requesting a Pardon from President Barack Obama for Marissa Alexander petition to 2020 M St NW, Washington, DC 20036 was written by Pierre Angel and is in the category Justice at GoPetition.