Florida State Attorney Corey Seeks 60-Year Sentence for Marissa Alexander

[ckaihatsu]

Florida State Attorney Corey Seeks 60-Year Sentence for Marissa Alexander

Racist persecution of African American mother in warning shot case continues

By staff

Jacksonville, FL - Florida State Attorney Angela Corey announced on March 1, 2014, that her office is seeking a maximum 60-year sentence in the retrial of Marissa Alexander, beginning in late July.

Marissa Alexander, the 33-year-old African American mother who fired a non-lethal warning shot to fend off her abusive husband, was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2012. State Attorney Corey, who personally prosecuted the case, sought the maximum sentence of 20 years under Florida's mandatory sentencing laws, despite no injuries or deaths. The jury deliberated for 12 minutes before returning a guilty verdict. The judge ordered Alexander's 20-year sentences for the three charges to be served concurrently--at the same time.

However, in 2013, a 1st District Court of Appeals judge overturned Alexander’s conviction and called for a new trial. Corey's latest demand is for the judge to order consecutive sentences, meaning Alexander may serve three 20-year sentences, sixty years, if convicted again.

A statement from the Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign called the move by Corey, "A stunning abuse of power." The statement continues, "As a consequence of winning the appeal to hopefully secure a more fair trial, Alexander now faces the alarming prospect that the original devastating sentence could be tripled in the new trial."

Corey's prosecution of Alexander comes on the heels of two humiliating defeats for the State Attorney's office - the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin, and the mistrial in the case of Michael Dunn for the murder of Jordan Davis. In both cases, Corey's office mishandled the prosecution of two racist vigilante killers who shot and killed young African American men.

Corey's decision to overzealously prosecute Alexander, who neither killed nor injured anyone, has people across Jacksonville calling for the State Attorney's resignation.

"You can't go two blocks in Jacksonville without meeting someone who has a close friend or family member whose life was ruined because of Angela Corey," said Estefania Galvis, an organizer with the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition and one of the leaders of the “Justice 4 Jordan Davis” protests. “Marissa's case shows how little the state cares about helping women suffering from domestic abuse. Corey has no problem mishandling the prosecution of Zimmerman or Dunn, but she's obsessed with handing Marissa a life sentence."

Alexander was denied access to Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law as a defense, despite responding to aggressive abuse. Critics of Corey and Stand Your Ground say that the law, written by the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), is unevenly applied to protect racist vigilantes like Dunn and deny the same defense to African Americans, like Alexander.

Women rights activists and domestic abuse survivors are harshly criticizing Corey's persecution of Alexander. Sumayya Fire, a member of the Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign, said that Alexander is "facing the very real possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison for that act of self-defense." Fire continued, "That should send a chill down the back of every person in this country who believes that women who are attacked have the right to defend themselves."

On the night of February 15, 2013, more than 70 protesters outraged by the mistrial in the Dunn case took to the streets and marched on Corey's Jacksonville office. Chanting, "Hey-Hey, Ho-Ho, Angela Corey's gotta go!" the protesters presented a giant petition signed by hundreds of people outside of the Duval County Courthouse.

Organizers plan to continue the campaign to force Corey's resignation. Jacksonville protests demanding "Free Marissa Now!" are scheduled for the first day of the trial.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]






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[RedAnarchist]

Remember, minorities and women, Stand Your Ground is only for whites and men! :rolleyes:

A prick like Zimmerman gets away with murdering a black teenager, whilst an African-American woman could face decades in jail just for firing a shot that didn't even hit anyone.

[Loony Le Fist]

It's interesting. There actually is a Republican in the Florida state House of Representatives that wants to pass a bill to make warning shots legal.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2014-02-27/news/os-florida-gun-law-changes-20140223_1_ground-law-r-polk-city-stand-ground

Here's what Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City has to say about it. "As it stands right now in 'stand your ground,' you have to shoot somebody."

He's absolutely right. Sometimes, very rarely, Republicans do make sense. I hate the current stand-your-ground because you must kill the other person. If you don't, you can be sent to jail for attempted murder.

[ckaihatsu]

Justice for Marissa Alexander, Michelle Byrom, victims of police brutality and all!


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Join the campaign to demand

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Now is the time to unite and intensify our efforts in spreading the word about Marissa's case and demanding her complete freedom.

Marissa is a survivor of domestic violence, and is only facing charges because of this racist and unjust legal system. There is no crime in defending yourself from abuse. Marissa acted in self-defense and injured no one. She should not be subjected to a second trial. All charges against her should be dropped immediately.

Sign the online petition (http://www2.defendwomensrights.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=11001&)
Send a letter to State Attorney Angela Corey (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/pages/drop-charges-against-marissa-alexander.html)
Circulate the offline petition (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/downloads/general-flyers/drop-the-charges-against.pdf)
Circulate an informational flyer to help spread the word (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/downloads/general-flyers/marissa-alexander-drop-the-charges-against-flyer.pdf)
List a local event in your city (http://www2.defendwomensrights.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=11520&)
Send a letter to Marissa Alexander at Marissa Alexander, PO Box 23872,
Jacksonville, FL 32257
Sign-up for email updates (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/signup.html#.UuSXXRAo6t8) from WORD to find out about future actions!


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[...]

[Raquin]

Yeah, no. Don't buy this liberal bullshit. Marissa Alexander is no victim and "Stand Your Ground" has nothing to do with this. According to the courtfile, the chronology is as follows:

Marissa and her ex, Rico Gray, were having an argument in his house. She stormed out and went to her car. She retrieved a handgun from her car and re-entered the house and confronted her husband, at gunpoint, while his children were present. She fired a shot into the wall(if it was a warning shot, why not the ceiling? Gray's 12 year old testified that she shot right above his head, and that he thought she was going to kill him).

The evidence was so overwhelmingly conclusive that Marissa is guilty, it took the jury only 12 minutes to deliberate. If Marissa wasn't such an idiot she would have taken the plea deal and that 3 year sentence. Personally I think this child-endangering piece of shit deserves a lot more than 3 years, though.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/03/angela-corey-reminds-fl-legislators-of-facts-of-marissa-alexander-case/

[brigadista]

What ever happenned to mitigation ??.?

[ckaihatsu]

!!!

[synthesis]

Yeah, no. Don't buy this liberal bullshit. Marissa Alexander is no victim and "Stand Your Ground" has nothing to do with this. According to the courtfile, the chronology is as follows:

Marissa and her ex, Rico Gray, were having an argument in his house. She stormed out and went to her car. She retrieved a handgun from her car and re-entered the house and confronted her husband, at gunpoint, while his children were present. She fired a shot into the wall(if it was a warning shot, why not the ceiling? Gray's 12 year old testified that she shot right above his head, and that he thought she was going to kill him).

The evidence was so overwhelmingly conclusive that Marissa is guilty, it took the jury only 12 minutes to deliberate. If Marissa wasn't such an idiot she would have taken the plea deal and that 3 year sentence. Personally I think this child-endangering piece of shit deserves a lot more than 3 years, though.

http://legalinsurrection.com/2014/03/angela-corey-reminds-fl-legislators-of-facts-of-marissa-alexander-case/

Wow, it should be a surprise that you buy so thoroughly into this reactionary law-and-order bullshit, but unfortunately it's not. (Check out the linked blogs on the website he's linked if you want to see what kind of sources he believes implicitly.)

You apparently believe that the prosecutor's word (and that of the husband) is gospel. You say that she should have fired into the ceiling, yet according to her lawyer:


[The] shot that was fired went through the wall in an upward direction right into the ceiling…Even Mr. Gray’s own son said that the gun was never pointed at anyone…Ms. Alexander went from having the gun down by her side when she was attacked, she raised it up in the air, flinched because she was afraid that she was going to get hit by him [Rico Gray] and fired one shot and it went straight up in a angular trajectory to the wall into the ceiling."

You say that Gray's child testified that he was in fear for his life, yet according to other court documents (http://www.scribd.com/doc/89763177/Notice-of-Filing-for-Determination-of-Immunity-and-Motion-to-Dismiss) that you've ignored, apparently because they don't come from the mouth of the prosecutor, the mother of one of Gray's children testified that her son told her that "Ms. Alexander did not fire at us, but rather fired in the air because Dad was beating her." (The documents also contain some pretty heavy and trigger warning-worthy descriptions of the abuse she suffered.)


I’ve been hit in the mouth, pushed into walls, he’s run me into neighbor’s homes, he’s beaten me…outside to where I have been stripped of my clothing…The last time…he hit me in my mouth. I went into my sons room to call the police and he started to yank the cord out of the wall. Once he realized the call had went through, he ran into our kitchen…pulled out a fork…took the fork, stood in front of his son …and started stabbing himself…and told his son [the same youngest son that testified in Marissa Alexander’s case] to tell the police…that I [Chartrissia] had done it.
And just for some additional context:


My client went over to that house because she had to get a birth certificate signed, her child was born premature and was about to be cut off of health insurance…when she gets over there, he wants her to stay, she says no…and he jumps on her again that day. The police came and took her to the hospital, they didn’t take him to the hospital.

(Read the hospital report here (http://www.scribd.com/doc/93086490/Marissa-Hospital-Records-December-2010-Incident).)

I think the fact that you've not only completely sided with the prosecution but also completely ignored all the evidence in Marissa's defense really says it all about your reactionary politics, Raquin. The reason conservatives have to prove that Marissa is guilty is so that they can prove that the gun laws in Florida are not enforced in a completely arbitrary and racist way, and for some reason you thought you could transplant that agenda here without objection.

[ckaihatsu]

It's worth noting that the article Raquin linked to is certainly biased politically, given this characterization within:





Alexander’s supporters, who only a couple of weeks ago were calling for Corey’s resignation over her handling of the Alexander case (see NOW calls for Angela Corey to resign over Marissa Alexander case), are fairly howling in outrage in the face of this factual disclosure.

[ckaihatsu]

Justice for Marissa Alexander | WORD wishes all mothers a Happy Mother's Day!


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WORD wishes all mothers a Happy Mother’s Day!

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What you can do to support Marissa Alexander

Join the campaign to demand
"Drop the charges NOW!"

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Washington D.C.

Now is the time to unite and intensify our efforts in spreading the word about Marissa's case and demanding her complete freedom.

Marissa is a survivor of domestic violence, and is only facing charges because of this racist and unjust legal system. There is no crime in defending yourself from abuse. Marissa acted in self-defense and injured no one. She should not be subjected to a second trial. All charges against her should be dropped immediately.

Sign the online petition (http://www2.defendwomensrights.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=11001&)

Send a letter to State Attorney Angela Corey (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/pages/drop-charges-against-marissa-alexander.html)

Circulate an informational flyer to help spread the word (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/downloads/general-flyers/drop-the-charges-against.pdf"Circulate the offline petition[/url]

http://www2.answercoalition.org/images/content/pagebuilder/word-sf-rally-nathalie.jpg[/img]

Many of us in WORD are mothers in the struggle. We recognize the challenge mothers face in today's society, where women bear the brunt of responsibility for child rearing and childcare while food, education, health care, a job and housing are not considered rights.

Whatever the gender of the parent or parents, raising children in the United States is treated as an individual or nuclear family issue, and not viewed as a collective social responsibility. For mothers in general, and single mothers in particular, the individual responsibility becomes a significant burden.

The wage gap between men and women without children in the United States is 7 percent. Add a single child into the mix and that gap jumps to 23 percent. Sixty-five percent of a U.S. family's second wage is spent on childcare. For single mothers, and 40 percent of us are single mothers, childcare expenses come out of a single income (Forbes, 2013).

The all-out assault on social services has had a disastrous impact on working families—and particularly those led by single mothers.

Origin of Mother's Day

In the mid-to-late 1800s, different groups of women celebrated special mother’s days that ranged in their purpose and organization. In 1858, Anna Jarvis organized mothers’ work days to improve sanitation with the aim of lowering infant mortality and better community health. In 1872, Julia Ward Howe—a suffragist and pacifist—established a special mother’s day for peace that continued for several years.

The official U.S. holiday was adopted in 1914 when Congress passed a Mother's Day resolution. The official holiday was the result of Anna Jarvis's daughter, also named Anna Jarvis, who spent many years advocating for a special day for mothers. Jarvis insisted that it be for one's personal mother, not mothers in general. By the time it was officially adopted, the day had been stripped of almost all association with anti-war sentiments or community service. It rapidly became a highly commercialized day, profitable to a variety of corporations and used by organizations—from pro-war to charitable groups—to raise funds. Jarvis herself then spent every penny she had fighting the commodification of the Mother's Day she had initiated.

During the same period that Jarvis was building support for Mother's Day, International Women's Day was proposed by working women's organizations in the United States and then in an international conference that met in Europe as a day to celebrate women's contributions and build the struggle against women's oppression. In 1913, the year before the United States Congress officially decreed Mother's Day as a holiday, IWD was moved to March 8—a day that is celebrated worldwide. Instead of isolating one group of women that have become parents, International Women's Day is a day established by working women from many different countries to celebrate the struggle of all women for full equality.

Women and motherhood

Mothers deserve to be recognized for the work they do for their families—countless hours of unpaid work. But motherhood—producing and caring for children—is often venerated as the ultimate achievement for women, that which gives them value as human beings and members of society.

In “Why I hate Mother’s Day” author Anne Lammott aptly writes, “Mother’s Day celebrates a huge lie about the value of women: that mothers are superior beings, that they have done more with their lives and chosen a more difficult path," (Salon.com, 2010). Placing such high value on motherhood implicitly alienates families that may not have a mother figure--families with two dads, single fathers or families that have lost a mother for some reason or another.

In reality, all women face the profound effects of institutionalized sexism, of living in a patriarchal society that denies us equal access to jobs, education, housing and more.

All women should be afforded the right decide if and when they want to become mamas—meaning unfettered access to reproductive rights. All women should have the right to decent housing, equal pay for equal work and a quality education. All women should live a life free of violence—whether that be domestic violence, sexual assault or bigoted attacks. If we are to make this a reality, we need to build a movement to fight the attacks on women's rights and win the rights we should be afforded.

We take this Mother's Day to salute all of the women who have been our mothers in the struggle, and all mothers in their struggle to provide for themselves and their families as best they can. WORD would also like to invite mothers to join us as we struggle for full equality for all women.

Click here to read statements from several WORD activist mothers posted last year

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[Lynx]

60 years is harsh but lets not transform Marissa Alexander into a martyr.

[ckaihatsu]

Justice for Marissa Alexander! Nationwide actions June 20-21 & more from WORD


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Demand Justice for Marissa Alexander

Join WORD on June 20-21 in a city near you

What you can do to support Marissa Alexander


Justice for Jane Doe
Free Cecily McMillan
TAKE ACTION

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Nationwide actions June 20-21 demand:

Free Marissa Alexander!
Dismiss the Case Against Marissa!
End the Racist Use of Stand Your Ground!

http://www2.answercoalition.org/images/content/pagebuilder/WORD_DC_Main_v2.jpg

With upcoming pretrial motion hearings, jury selection and trial, it has never been more urgent to take to the streets demanding freedom for our sister Marissa Alexander.

Racist and sexist Duval County State Attorney Angela Corey has moved full speed ahead with Marissa’s prosecution. Marissa was convicted in a bogus first trial. Through the growing movement to free her, she won a second trial on appeal. But the State has thrown the book at Marissa, seeking the maximum penalty possible—60 years!—for defending her own life and the lives of her children.

Women around the world will not sit silent as Marissa is prosecuted for a second time. Marissa is not guilty of anything, and should not have served one day behind bars. She should not be facing trial, but more so, she should be free.

One month before the jury selection in Marissa’s case, people all over the United States will take to the streets demanding her freedom. Nationwide actions are taking place June 20 – 21!

Read Full Statement (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/news/free-marissa-alexander-actions.html)

Join WORD on June 20-21 in a city near you or call an action in your city and add it to the list!

Event Listing:

Los Angeles, Calif.
Saturday, June 21
Speak-out
1:00 p.m.
Pershing Square
Info: [email protected] or 323-394-3611

San Francisco, Calif.
Saturday, June 21
Speak-out
11 a.m.
Powell and Market Sts.
Info: [email protected] or 415-375-9502

New Haven, Conn.
Friday, June 20
Speak-out
5:30 p.m.
College and Chapel Sts.
Info: [email protected] or 203-787-8232
Also: Get on the bus to D.C. for the Saturday, June 21 "Free Her Rally." Contact WORD at [email protected] or 203-787-8232 for ticket info.

Washington, D.C.
Saturday, June 21
Free Her Rally - against mass incarceration of women
10:00 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Gathering at: Sylvan Theater by the Washington Monument (SE Quadrant)
Info: [email protected] or 240-487-WORD (9673)

New York City, N.Y.
Saturday, June 21
Speak-out
12:00 p.m.- 2 p.m.
125th and Lenox in Harlem
Info: [email protected] or 347-292-WORD (9673)

If there is no action in your city, organize one today! Click here to submit your event listing, or email [email protected] for support and assistance.

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What you can do to support Marissa Alexander

Free Marissa Alexander! NYC outreach

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WORD volunteers spread the
word about Marisssa Alexander's
case on the streets in New York City.

Now is the time to unite and intensify our efforts in spreading the word about Marissa's case and demanding her complete freedom.

Marissa is a survivor of domestic violence, and is only facing charges because of this racist and unjust legal system. There is no crime in defending yourself from abuse. Marissa acted in self-defense and injured no one. She should not be subjected to a second trial. All charges against her should be dropped immediately.

Sign the online petition (http://www2.defendwomensrights.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=11001&)
Send a letter to State Attorney Angela Corey (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/pages/drop-charges-against-marissa-alexander.html)
Circulate the offline petition (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/downloads/general-flyers/drop-the-charges-against.pdf)
Circulate an informational flyer to help spread the word (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/downloads/general-flyers/marissa-alexander-drop-the-charges-against-flyer.pdf)
List a local event in your city (http://www2.defendwomensrights.org/site/Survey?ACTION_REQUIRED=URI_ACTION_USER_REQUESTS&SURVEY_ID=11520&)
Send a letter to Marissa Alexander at Marissa Alexander, PO Box 23872,
Jacksonville, FL 32257

Sign-up for email updates (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/signup.html#.UuSXXRAo6t8) from WORD to find out about future actions!

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Justice for Jane Doe, a 16-year-old transgender

Latina imprisoned with no charges

WORD supports Connecticut campaign demanding justice

http://www2.answercoalition.org/images/content/pagebuilder/justiceforjane.jpg

Jane Doe, as she is known because she is a minor, is a transgender Latina teenager who has, in recent months, become a symbol of struggle against mass incarceration, racism, transphobia, victim-blaming and child abuse all in one. People across the country and even overseas have stood up to demand that she be released from York Correctional, an adult women’s prison, where she was placed by Connecticut Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz and has now been held for two months in solitary conditions.

Read Full Statement (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/news/justice-for-jane-doe-a.html)


Join the campaign to demand justice

Fighters for Jane Doe’s freedom have engaged in a massive campaign to demand her immediate release and placement into a safe, therapeutic home. A growing online presence, as well as a series of actions in Hartford – Connecticut’s capital and home to the DCF headquarters – have had an impact, forcing a response from Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy.

WORD firmly joins the growing sea of voices demanding justice for Jane. An injury to one is an injury to all!

To get involved in Justice for Jane, visit the following links:

Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/justice4janeCT)
Tumblr (http://justice4jane.tumblr.com/)
Email: [email protected] (letters of love and support for Jane can be sent to this address)
Twitter: @Justice4JaneCT and #JusticeForJane
Sign the petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/connecticut-department-of-children-and-families-free-the-16-year-old-transgender-girl-currently-incarcerated-in-an-adult-prison-without-criminal-charges)

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Free Cecily McMillan!

Protecting one's self from police violence is not crime!

http://www2.answercoalition.org/images/content/pagebuilder/FreeCecilyMcMillanCalltoAction021714.jpg

Cecily McMillan, an Occupy Wall Street activist prosecuted for defending herself from assault by a police officer, was sentenced May 19 to three months in prison, a period of community service, unspecified mental health treatment, and five years of probation.

The State accused McMillan of elbowing Police Officer Grantley Bovell while he was clearing out OWS protesters from Zuccotti Park in New York City. McMillan had been offered a plea deal without jail time, but decided to go to trial to exonerate herself. In the courtroom, the police lied — as they often do — and the judge clearly was biased towards a conviction.

Read Full Statement (http://www.defendwomensrights.org/news/free-cecily-mcmillan.html)


SUPPORT WORD

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Donate to support WORD
Women Organized to Resist and Defend

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[email protected]

Chicago: 773-828-9205 or [email protected]
Connecticut: 203-787-8232 or [email protected]
Los Angeles: 323-394-3611 or [email protected]
New York: 347-292-WORD (9673) or [email protected]
San Francisco: 415-375-9502 or [email protected]

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[ckaihatsu]

Marissa Alexander retrial pushed to December

By staff

Jacksonville, FL – On June 10, Circuit Judge James Daniel pushed back Marissa Alexander's retrial date from July 21 to Dec. 1. Alexander is a 33-year-old African-American mother facing 60 years in prison for firing a warning shot to fend off her abusive husband. Originally convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years in prison, Alexander received a new trial in 2013 when a District Court of Appeals judge overturned the decision.

Now, Judge Daniel delayed the trial's opening day by more than four months because of a recent amendment to Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law. Alexander sought protection through Stand Your Ground, arguing that she acted in self-defense as her husband threatened and attacked her. The court's ruling that Stand Your Ground didn't apply to Alexander sparked national outrage from African Americans, woman’s rights activists and other progressive groups.

The new amendment to Stand Your Ground, passed by the Republican-dominated Florida legislature in the last session, extends the law's protections to include warning shots. The defense argues that Alexander should receive a new Stand Your Ground hearing in December after the amendment takes effect. At the time of writing, Florida Governor Rick Scott had not signed the amendment into law.

Florida's Stand Your Ground laws, passed in Florida in 2005 under right-wing Governor Jeb Bush, removes a person's duty to retreat if there is a reasonable presumption of a threat. The law was written by the reactionary corporate lobbying group, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC specializes in authoring and passing far-right laws through state legislatures.

Many critics of Stand Your Ground say that the law allows racist vigilantes to murder African Americans and Latinos with impunity, as in the not guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman. However, Alexander's case reveals another racist aspect of the law's implementation. It shows the state's unwillingness to apply Stand Your Ground when African Americans or women exercise self-defense.

In the first trial, State Attorney Angela Corey accused Alexander of battering her husband, Rico Gray. Gray had two previous domestic battery arrests – the most recent from 2009 – and he bragged in a deposition that he has “five baby mammas, and I [hit] every last one of them, except for one.” Alexander said she fired the warning shot after her husband flew into a violent rage with her kids at home. Corey's claims flipped reality on its head and revealed the sexist and racist nature of the U.S. criminal injustice system.

Alexander's denial of basic self-defense rights is hardly unique to her case. An Urban Institute study from this year found that in states with Stand Your Ground laws, white-on-black shootings were ruled 'justified' in 17% of cases, while black-on-white crimes were only ruled 'justified' in 1% of cases.

Despite the news, activist organizations across Jacksonville pushed forward towards large, militant courthouse protests calling to “Free Marissa Now.” Local organizations like the Free Marissa Now network, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition (JPC), the New Jim Crow Movement and Florida New Majority, are all preparing for massive rallies to support Alexander during the trial.

The Free Marissa Now network designated July 25 through Aug. 1 as “Standing Our Ground Week of Action.” The week of action will include courthouse protests, marches and a panel discussion on Black feminist organizing led by Professor Beth Richie of the University of Illinois-Chicago. Despite the date change of the court date, the network plans to push forward for the same week.

On May 28, the Jacksonville Progressive Coalition announced the kickoff of a citywide campaign to remove State Attorney Angela Corey, the politician responsible for re-prosecuting Alexander and seeking a higher sentence, from office. They say that Corey botched the prosecution of George Zimmerman and Michael Dunn, the killer of 17-year-old African-American Jordan Davis. The campaign demands “Angela Corey Out Now” and “Free Marissa Now” and it will meet regularly on the third Sunday of the month at the IBEW 177 union hall.

Read more News and Views from the Peoples Struggle at http://www.fightbacknews.org. You can write to us at [email protected]






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Fight Back! News · P.O. Box 582564 · Minneapolis, MN 55440 · USA

[ckaihatsu]

1,098 days in jail


Dear Chris,

Yesterday, a judge sentenced Marissa Alexander, a Black domestic violence survivor and mother of three, to time served and 2 years of house arrest.1 After a long and protracted legal ordeal Alexander will finally be reunited with her children after spending nearly 1,100 days locked in a Florida jail for firing a warning shot to stop her violently abusive, estranged husband.2

Florida Prosecutor Angela Corey went through great lengths to send Alexander to prison for 60 years. But we organized and sent Corey a clear message that our movement against the crimininalization of Black suvivors of domestic violence is strong; we could not rest until until Marissa Alexander was home with her children. But for Alexander, and many other Black women who are suvivors of domestic violence, freedom will come at a heavy cost. For the next two years, Alexander will be forced to wear an ankle monitor at the price of $105 a week and will only be allowed to leave her home with court approval.3 This isn't justice. It’s a nightmare faced by too many Black and brown survivors of domestic violence who are routinely criminalized for defending themselves or their children against an abusive partner4

Take a moment to share this powerful graphic detailing how the justice system treats Black women and suvivors of domestic violence like Marissa Alexander, and demand FL Gov. Rick Scott suspend State Attorney Angela Corey for her long history of biased prosecution against Black and brown defendants. (http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/freemarissastw/?source=mailing&t=1&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC)

https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.colorofchange.org/images/ThisIsNotJusticeFreeMarissa.png

Prior to firing the warning shot that sent her to jail, Alexander's violent husband brutally choked her and threatened to end her life. And Marissa is not the only Black woman facing charges for defending themselves against an abusive partner. The criminal justice system routinely criminalizes and faults Black domestic violence survivors for their abuse. Seventy five percent of women in prison are survivors of severe intimate partner violence.4 Last year, Tondalo Hall, a Black 30-year-old woman,5 became the latest in a long list of women who are now serving long sentences for “failing to protect” their children or defending themselves against an abusive partner.6

Had it not been for the sustained organizing of more than 70,000 ColorOfChange members like you — as well as our friends at UltraViolet and Free Marissa Now — Alexander could be heading to prison for 30 or more years years just like Tandalo Hall. But we raised our voices, helped shine a national spotlight on this case, and made it clear to Gov. Scott and State Prosecutor Corey that we will not sit by silently as Florida's criminal justice system fails yet another Black person. Our fight to create a justice system that works for all Floridians and doesn't criminalize and over prosecute Black people doesn't end with today's sentencing. We have much more work to do.

As long as Angela Corey remains at her post, we can expect Florida's criminal justice system to continue to fail Black Floridians. Share this image and help spread the word that Marissa Alexander is on her way home but the fight against Angela Corey — the prosecutor that unjustly charged her — continues. (http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/freemarissastw/?source=mailing&t=3&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC)

Thanks and Peace,

--Rashad, Matt, Arisha, Lyla, Jamar and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
January 28th, 2015

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References

1. "Marissa Alexander released from jail," MSNBC, 01-27-15
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4565?t=6&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC

2. "Florida’s killingest prosecutor," Washington Post, 03-13-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/3361?t=8&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC

3. See reference 1.

4. "New report finds clear link between domestic violence and women's incarceration," Correctional Association of New York, 06-01-11
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4571?t=10&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC

5. "How some states treat battered victims as criminals," Huffington Post, 11-174-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4572?t=12&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC

6. "Battered, bereaved, and behind bars," Buzzfeed, 11-02-14
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/4566?t=14&akid=4067.872082.l1L7iC



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