Prosecutor’s Vendetta Against Marissa Alexander? Lawmaker Weighs In

Does Florida State Attorney Angela Corey have a vendetta against Marissa Alexander? Some are asking that question after Corey filed to have the 33-year old Jacksonville mother’s  bond revoked on the grounds that she violated the conditions of her parole by running errands.

Alexander has been out on bail since Nov. 27, after a state appeals court overturned her conviction and 20-year sentence for firing what the defense called a warning shot at her estranged husband, Rico Gray, Sr. The appeals court decided the judge instructed the jury improperly. Alexander had been unsuccessful at invoking Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law as a defense.

As reported by NewsOne, Alexander has been granted a new trial and was scheduled to have a new bond hearing on Jan. 15. Alexander was allowed to remain free in the interim as long as she agreed to special conditions, including home detention.

On Monday Corey moved to revoke her bond on the grounds Alexander violated those conditions by leaving her home to go shopping and driving family members to various places. Alexander’s lawyer filed a response maintaining she had the permission of supervising corrections officer April Wilson to leave her house on all of those occasions. Corey says that is not enough; she needed court permission.

Corey is the same state attorney who unsuccessfully prosecuted George Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin.

“Why is it that we are trying to prosecute this young lady to this extent?” asked Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Florida), who has spoken out in Alexander’s defense before. During an interview on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, Brown told Roland Martin that Corey “always takes things personally.” She also said that under Corey, who serves on Florida’s Fourth Judicial Circuit Court, ”We have a 70 percent increase in direct filing of young black youth [charged] as felons.”

Meanwhile, said Brown, “She is the person who prosecuted [Zimmerman for the killing of Trayvon Martin] and he walked, and that was the worst kind of prosecution I’ve ever seen. So you’re [misdirecting] your energy.”

Brown suggested that the general public watch where they direct their energy, too, if they are worried about injustice. “This is an example for when you walk into the booth. You vote for the president. You vote for the congressperson. You’ve [also] got to vote for the state attorney. You vote for the judges. These other people [who are] influencing our entire lives. Know who you’re voting for, and know you’ve got to make them accountable.”