Same law, whitey gets off and the black lady gets 20 years, whitey killed a teenager where as the black lady fired warning shots to prevent her ex beating her http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57433184/fla-mom-gets-20-years-for-firing-warning-shots/ (CBS News) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida woman who fired warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband has been sentenced to 20 years in prison. Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville had said the state's "Stand Your Ground" law should apply to her because she was defending herself against her allegedly abusive husband when she fired warning shots inside her home in August 2010. She told police it was to escape a brutal beating by her husband, against whom she had already taken out a protective order. CBS Affiliate WETV reports that Circuit Court Judge James Daniel handed down the sentence Friday. Under Florida's mandatory minimum sentencing requirements Alexander could receive a lesser sentence, even though she has never been in trouble with the law before. Judge Daniel said the law did not allow for extenuating or mitigating circumstances to reduce the sentence below the 20-year minimum. "I really was crying in there," Marissa's 11-year-old daughter told WETV. "I didn't want to cry in court, but I just really feel hurt. I don't think this should have been happening." Alexander was convicted of attempted murder after she rejected a plea deal for a three-year prison sentence. She said she did not believe she did anything wrong. She was recently denied a new trial after appealing to the judge to reconsider her case based on Florida's controversial "Stand Your Ground" law. The law states that the victim of a crime does not have to attempt to run for safety and can immediately retaliate in self-defense. Alexander's attorney said she was clearly defending herself and should not have to spend the next two decades behind bars. Alexander's case has drawn support from domestic abuse advocates - and comparison to the case of neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who has claimed a "Stand Your Ground" defense in his fatal shooting of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.
The other case - Zimmerman shoots unarmed black teenager and walks, police believe he was acting in self defence http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0714/462351-jury-finds-zimmerman-not-guilty/ A Florida jury has found George Zimmerman not guilty in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin. The case sparked a national debate in the US over racial profiling, guns for self-defence and equal justice. The panel of six women deliberated more than 16 hours over two days before delivering the verdict, which drew immediate condemnation from some civil rights groups. Mr Zimmerman appeared stoned-faced as the verdict was announced, but then showed a slight smile of relief. His parents embraced each other and his wife was tearful. Mr Zimmerman, 29, said the 17-year-old attacked him on the night of 26 February 2012 in the central Florida town of Sanford. Prosecutors contend the neighbourhood watch coordinator in his gated community was a "wannabe cop" who tracked down the teenager and shot him without justification. "I think the prosecution of George Zimmerman was disgraceful," said his attorney Don West. "As happy as I am for George Zimmerman, I'm thrilled that this jury kept this tragedy from becoming a travesty." The jury could have convicted him of second-degree murder or manslaughter. "Today, justice failed Trayvon Martin and his family," Roslyn M Brock, chairman of the National Association of Colored People, said in a statement. "We call immediately for the Justice Department to conduct an investigation into the civil rights violations committed against Trayvon Martin. This case has re-energised the movement to end racial profiling* in the United States." The news also drew angry shouts from some of the dozens of demonstrators who had gathered outside the courtroom during the day in support of the teenager’s family. His parents were not in the court during the reading of the verdict. Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson tweeted within minutes of the acquittal: "Avoid violence, it will lead to more tragedies. Find a way for self construction not deconstruction in this time of despair." What happened in Sanford that February night may never have gone beyond the back pages of a local newspaper if police had immediately arrested Mr Zimmerman. But he walked free for more than six weeks after the shooting, because police believed his claim of self-defence, triggering protests and cries of injustice across the US. *Says it all
So, maybe you haven't heard, but 'whitey' was actually Hispanic... Therefore, this racial profiling bullshit needs to be put to an end. Also, Zimmerman had a beaten face and body, where as the 6' 17 yo 'kid' had no scratches, telling you what? That there is a very good case to be made for self-defense, and the jury couldn't, without reasonable doubt, say that it wasn't. Now was it? Possibly, but the justice system ran it's course and came out with the correct decision. 'Not guilty' does NOT mean innocent, just that they couldn't prove without doubt that it was murder.
Also, the fact that people made it into a race issue when there was no reason that that is the case, is racist in itself. Kinda ironic, especially when it's the NAACP doing it.
Like that mark Duggan shooting. The **** was armed and on his way to shoot rival gang members, yet dickheads are saying it is a race issue and trying - outrageously - to compare it to Stephen Lawrence. I bet the parents of this girl wish the cops had wiped out these scum before they did their 'business'. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/26/three-guilty-shooting-girl-paralysed
I was agreeing with Dirtyfrank's comment re the oversimplified point, not that the American kid was armed.
Hmmm. Agree with most of that, but the scratches bit intrigues me. You get into a fight with a 4ft midget and, even if you batter them, you'd have one or two scratches. So when did Zimmerman shoot him - when he was walking away and he was no longer "defending" himself? Don't agree with the race angle of this thread, but I can't see how arming citizens and encouraging them to 'defend' themselves will not inevitably lead to incidents like this.
My point was not that Zimmerman was guilty or not, my point is he shot a teenager dead AFTER being beaten goes the prosecution. If he was armed I think the gun would have warned off the teenager, Zimmerman most likely got his ass kicked and then got his gun and killed the kid. But.. the other case is pretty much what the thread is about, a woman with a court order against her ex who supposedly beat her fires warning shots and gets 20 years!! 20 ****ing years for firing warning shots but she gets done for attempted murder cos the state went after her and shafted her, its a ****ing disgrace. If she has a banning order against yer man he probably did most likely slap her around and in my book she then had a right to actually put a couple of slugs into him if he was again trying to assault her.
Re.the Duggan case-Don't think he was armed mate.The police alledged that initially, and said one of his bullets was lodged in a police radio.( turned out it was a police bullet) Then a gun is eventually found behind a fence nearby Not saying this guy was an angel,but as usual in alot of these cases,things just don't seem to add up.
As for the race thing, there is more daily acts of racism in the US than in any other country on earth I would imagine. Senators and well supported political members of large parties are blatantly racist, they would not survive in their jobs in the UK for 5 minutes with the attitudes they have and the things they have said,
