JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Gov. Rick Scott signed the so-called warning shots bill into law on Friday. It allows people to fire warning shots if they feel threatened without facing criminal charges. Action News investigated how this law could have an impact on Marissa Alexander's case.
The judge in Alexander's trial delayed the trial until December because he wanted to see whether Scott would sign the bill into law. Action News' law and safety expert Dale Carson said this law impact could reach beyond that case.
Lawmakers drafted the warning shots bill with the Alexander case in mind. Local Southern Christian Leadership Conference president Opio Sokoni believes the new law helps to address the issue with Florida's self-defense statutes.
"The stand your ground law is a law that we've seen people fire a shot in the air, but people who have killed someone go free. So there's not a lot of common sense there," Sokoni said.
Carson said he believes the new law will have an impact on Alexander's case.
"You can use aggravated assault or firing a warning shot and not be subject to the mandatory minimum of 10-20-life. That's exactly what it's saying," Carson said.
But he said the law also make those types of cases more difficult for law enforcement.
"And it's going to draw things out and there's going to have to be an evaluation of the evidence before someone's charged and that's not necessarily a bad thing," he said.
The State Attorney's Office said it will review any case in which the law may apply and make decisions based on that review.
The judge in Alexander's case will decide whether she will have another stand your ground hearing.