As Marissa Alexander Faces 60 Years, Her Abuser Plays Victim In Monday's Pre-Trial

[eridani]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/10/21/1338068/-As-Marissa-Alexander-Faces-60-Years-Her-Abuser-Plays-Victim-In-Monday-s-Pre-Trial

Rico Gray, a self-admitted abusive husband and boyfriend, took the stand Monday in a Jacksonville, Florida courtroom. He was there for Marissa Alexander's upcoming trial, to answer new pre-trial allegations by five women who came forth to accuse him of brutal abuse. Three of the women were ex-spouses. Gray's current estranged wife, Marissa Alexander, was arrested after defending herself from Gray, and now faces a 60-year prison sentence. She has already served jail time, prison time, and had her 20-year sentence overturned - all for firing a warning shot. Because under Rick Scott, whenever one cell door closes, another one opens.

Gray, who was reportedly uncooperative on the stand, said he didn't remember beating his former spouses, but he does recall that he lied about it. In his 2010 deposition, Gray admitted to all kinds of abuse, which he denied on Monday. He said he made up all those sworn statements to help Marissa stay out of jail. Missed on that one, Rico.

Here is one of Gray's many deposition statements:

“The gun was never actually pointed at me. When she raised the gun down and raised it up, you know, the gun was never pointed at me. The fact is, you know . . . she never been violent toward me. I was always the one starting it. If she was violent toward me, it was because she was trying to get me up off her or stop me from doing.”

It would seem Gray's deposition is as good as any confession, but it's not. And it's uncertain whether the testimonies of Gray's ex-spouses will be allowed as evidence in Alexander's new trial, scheduled for early December. The decision is up to Judge James Daniel, who has not stated when he'll decide. According to Florida Times Union, the judge repeatedly questioned the relevancy of bringing up Gray's abuse history. Alexander's Defense Attorney Faith Gay said Gray had a "pattern of using law enforcement to hide his own brutalization of his domestic partners.”

[belzabubba333]

1. all for firing a warning shot" depends on whose story you believe

[alarimer]

2. Fucking ridiculous.

She'd get less time if she'd killed him.

Fuck that guy and fuck the prosecutor with an agenda.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I'm not spending a lot of time on this, but...

it seems the way the law is fucked up is that you have two laws.

One makes it a crime to threaten with a weapon, the other makes it OK to stand your ground when threatened. So, shooting him would be the smart thing.

And, yeah, it sure sounds like like a prosecutor with his head screwed on wrong.

Lessee, someone is attacking you and there's this gun handy-- before doing anything, call your lawyer for advice.

[Jenoch]

4. She broke the law.

She did not feel that her life was in danger. Florida passed the gun law intending it to be usd against somebody using a gun in a crime such as robbing a liquor store. Unintended consequences. She may not have aimed the gun at her husband or the children, but she did leave the house, went to her car to get the gun, went back into the house and fired the gun in the genereral direction of her husband. I guess she should go for jury nullification.