Marissa Alexander remains on house arrest, won’t go back to prison

Marissa Alexander is free to go home. No jail time, but she remains on home detention. Her new trial is set for March 31st.

Alexander was in a Jacksonville courtroom today.  Her “stand your ground” defense was unsuccessful in a 2012 trial and Alexander was sentenced to 20 years. That conviction was overturned on appeal. The same state attorney who prosecuted George Zimmerman is prosecuting the Alexander case.  While in appeal, Alexander is on “home detention.”
During the month of December, Alexander went to the bank, the grocery store and ran other errands. The Duval County Sheriff supervisor who handles the home detention is testifying that she gave Alexander permission to run each “errand.”  “I make the judgement call if she can go or not” April Wilson testified this morning.
Prosecutors say Wilson didn’t have that authority. Judge James Daniel – who put Alexander’s home detention order in place – asked Wilson why she thought she had the discretion to allow her to “run errands.”  Wilson said she’s operated like this for 17 years in her job and this is the first time a prosecutor or judge has questioned her discretionary permissions.
The state attorney wants Alexander jailed for violating the conditions of her bond. Alexander supporters say the state attorney is singling this case out because Alexander has become an internet “cause celeb” and in the wake of losing the Zimmerman case, they’ve adopted a hardline stance in what will be another high profile “stand your ground” case.
Judge James Daniel said today: “This was a mistake and they happen. This was not a willful violation.”
The state has said it will retry Alexander in the original case – where she discharged a weapon during a domestic dispute with her husband. Her defense says that gun shot was a warning shot that saved her life.