Marissa Alexander’s Retrial Postponed to December

By Aura Bogado Jun 10, 2014

Marissa Alexander’s retrial has been postponed until December 1 due to questions about whether a new Florida bill can be used retroactively in her case. She originally faced retrial on July 28. 

Alexander, 33, was convicted of aggravated assault after firing a warning shot during a fight with her abusive husband. But she was released on bond last November after an appeals court ruled in September that the jury in her trial was given flawed instructions. She was originally sentenced to 20 years; if convicted in a retrial, Alexander faces up to 60 years in prison.

Judge James Daniel was set to determine this morning if Alexander was eligible for a Stand Your Ground hearing–which was denied to her previously. Florida lawmakers passed a Warning Shot Bill in March that Alexander’s legal team says can protect her, but Governor Rick Scott has yet to sign it into law. Because of that pending law, attorneys on both sides asked for an extension. A decision on whether Alexander can get a Stand Your Ground hearing is now postponed until August 1.

One of Marissa Alexander’s most ardent supporters, Mariame Kaba, published an anthology whose proceeds will benefit the Alexander’s legal defense. "No Selves to Defend" is available today, and features writing and artwork that "locates Marissa’s case within a historical context that criminalizes and punishes women (particularly of color) for self-defense." Only 125 copies of the anthology are available for purchase for $50–and there will be no reprints.