Florida State Attorney Angela Corey has filed a motion to reverse Marissa Alexander’s release on bond after accusing Alexander of making unauthorized trips while on house arrest; however, Alexander’s legal team is calling foul play.
Marissa Alexander was released on bond last November after she had already served 21 months behind bars.
Alexander’s case became a national news story when she was arrested in Jacksonville for firing warning shots in the direction of her abusive husband, Rico Gray, who had a criminal history that included domestic violence.
According to the conditions of Alexander’s bond, she was able to make trips outside her home as long as they were approved by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
While the state attorney is saying Alexander made unauthorized trips to shop for clothes, take relatives to the airport, and run other various errands, Alexander’s legal team insists that all her trips had been approved and the motion is just another abusive tactic that Corey is using against their client.
“No justification supports the state’s failure to include in its motion to modify and revoke bond the fact that every activity alleged to be a violation of bond had been approved by the agency charged with the responsibility of supervising Marissa Alexander’s bond,” Alexander’s attorney, Bruce Zimet, said. “Obviously, including those omitted facts would expose the frivolity of the state’s motion.”
In a statement released to the press, the Free Marissa Now Mobilization Campaign accused Corey of harassing Alexander and trying to intimidate her.
“The state’s motion is nothing more than a smear tactic to undermine Alexander’s credibility and criminalize her character in an attempt to sway public opinion before Alexander’s new trial at the end of March,” the statement read. “Despite knowing that all of the trips were authorized, Corey accuses Alexander of ‘repeatedly flout[ing]’ the conditions of her bond; demonstrat[ing] her utter disregard for conforming her behavior to the rules others must abide by’… These obviously false accusations continue to expose Angela Corey as someone who is not driven by facts, but by her own inventions.”
The statement went on to demand that “this extreme harassment by Angela Corey’s office cease immediately” and encouraged supporters of Alexander to donate to her legal funds.
A hearing for the motion has been scheduled to take place on Friday.
Alexander will be facing three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon during her trial in March and the charges have already sparked controversy and debate across the nation.
The shots fired by the 33-year-old were warning shots after she felt threatened by her husband; however, prosecutors insisted that she fired the gun out of anger and not self-defense.
The incident was immediately compared to the Trayvon Martin case, which was occurring in Florida around the same time, as George Zimmerman was acquitted on murder charges after he shot and killed 17-year-old Martin.
Alexander, on the other hand, had not killed or shot anyone but was immediately taken into custody.
She was offered a plea deal for a 3-year prison term, but refused to take the deal and instead wants to prove her innocence. If found guilty, she can face up to 20 years in prison.
