A 33-year-old woman could end up in prison for 60 years when she's retried for firing a shot in the direction of her estranged husband and two of his children.
Marissa Alexander was convicted in 2012 on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years - three counts served concurrently. An appeals court tossed the conviction, saying the judge made a mistake in shifting the burden to Alexander to prove she acted in self-defense.
Assistant State Attorney Richard Mantei told the Florida Times-Union the state is simply following sentencing laws in seeking 60 years. The same court that ordered Alexander's retrial ruled that when a defendant is convicted of multiple counts from the same crime, judges must make the sentences consecutive.
Critics say it's outrageous to seek triple the original sentence.
Florida Seeks Triple Sentence in Warning-Shot Case
A 33-year-old woman could end up in prison for 60 years when she's retried for firing a shot in the direction of her estranged husband and two of his children
Copyright AP - Associated Press