<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Courtesy of CBS News at:</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; "><a href="http://tinyurl.com/6mtryqn">http://tinyurl.com/6mtryqn</a></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; white-space: nowrap; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: none; "> </span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">--------------------------------------</div><div><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><h1 style="margin: 0px; padding: 13px 0px 20px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 3.3em; font-family: nimbus-sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(32, 32, 34); line-height: 0.87em; letter-spacing: -0.07em; word-spacing: -0.04em; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; ">Fla. mom gets 20 years for firing warning shots</h1></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(CBS News) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Florida woman who fired warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">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.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><font color="#000000"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.actionnewsjax.com/mostpopular/story/Jacksonville-mother-sentenced-to-20-years/ZVGhtAMlEUC2A_TTNRirkw.cspx" class="link" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: none; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; ">CBS Affiliate WETV</a> reports that Circuit Court Judge James Daniel handed down the sentence Friday.</span></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">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.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"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."</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="text-align: left; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">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.</span></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; "></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">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.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Alexander's attorney said she was clearly defending herself and should not have to spend the next two decades behind bars.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">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.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">--------------------</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto;margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><span style="text-align: left; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla., received a 20-years prison sentence, Friday, May 11, 2012, for firing warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband. The judge rejected a defense under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law.</span></p><p style="text-align: -webkit-auto;margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><div class="image620 " style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; width: 620px; height: 350px; position: relative; "><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; "><font style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></font></div><font><span style="font-style: inherit; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><img src="http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2012/05/12/MarissaAlexander_620x350.jpg" alt="Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla., received a 20-years prison sentence, Friday, May 11, 2012, for firing warning shots against her allegedly abusive husband. The judge rejected a defense under Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law." style="text-align: -webkit-auto; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; display: block; position: relative; z-index: 1; "></span></font></div><div><br></div></p></p></p></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">--------------------------------------</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br><div>Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</div><div><br></div><div>"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</div><div><a href="http://www.MoscowCares.com">http://www.MoscowCares.com</a></div><div> </div><div><div>Tom Hansen</div><div>Moscow, Idaho</div><div><br></div><div>"<span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">There's room at the top they are telling you still</span><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "> </span></div><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill </span><br style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span style="font-size: medium; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></font></div><div><font size="3"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">- John Lennon<br></span></font><div> </div></div><div><br></div></div></body></html>