While Batterers Go Free, Their Victims Get Prosecuted featuring Marissa Alexander, survivor of and organizer in defense of legal rights for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse Sumayya Coleman, lead organizer for the campaign to Free Marissa Alexander and the African-merican/Black Women's Cultural Alliance
Marissa Alexander, the Florida mother whose case became a rallying cry for anti-racism activists and survivors of domestic violence, was released recently after three years of incarceration. Alexander, in fear for her life had faced up to 60 years behind bars for firing a single warning shot to deter her abusive husband. The public outcry in support of Marissa was successful in causing the sentence to be reduced, but nevertheless Marissa was forced to plead guilty to assault in exchange for credit for time served and received two years of electronic monitoring and house arrest. Marissa whose case has drawn national attention should be free and her case continues to raise larger issues of public interest and social around the stateâs criminalization of victims of domestic and sexual violence. Marissaâs case has long sparked outrage about the unequal application of the law for both Black Americans and women. Marissa was prosecuted by Angela Corey, who was also the prosecutor in the trial of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the February 2012 killing of Trayvon Martin and who evoked âstand your groundâ laws in his defense, while Marissa who was in actual fear for her life was denied the right to use that defense. Marissa granted us an exclusive interview where she and her critical supporter Sumayya Coleman speak about the plight of and in defense of legal rights for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse
produced by Mimi Rosenberg and Ken Nash
please notify us if you plan to broadcast this program - knash@igc.org
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