JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Several streets in downtown Jacksonville will be closed Friday morning. A march and rally is being held by the Jacksonville NAACP to support victims of domestic violence and to call attention to the application of mandatory minimum sentences, in particular the Marissa Alexander case.
MORE: Marissa Alexander receives 20 year sentence
Alexander was convicted on three counts of aggravated assault. Her attorneys say she fired a warning shot into the wall and ceiling while inside her home with her ex-husband and two children.
MORE: Marissa Alexander's estranged husband speaks to the media
Alexander's attorneys tried to use Florida's "Stand Your Ground Law" saying she was in fear for her life from an abusive ex-husband, but a judge threw out that defense. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison under Florida's 10-20-Life law.
The Jacksonville NAACP says Martin Luther King III will be leading the march and rally today. It will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Hemming Plaza and will go to the new Duval County Courthouse.
Duval Street from Hogan Street to Clay Street will be closed from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.
First Coast News