In May of 2012, Marissa Alexander, a Florida mother with no prior criminal record, was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 20 years in prison, in direct contravention of Florida's vaunted "Stand Your Ground" law.
Published media accounts show that during an altercation with her estranged husband, Rico Gray, Alexander felt threatened enough to fire a warning shot from a pistol into the wall. Based on this -- and despite her circumstances -- she was convicted and sentenced to the harsh punishment, even though her gun was registered, she herself was licensed to have it, possessed a concealed carry permit, and had no prior criminal record. The judge in the case acknowledged the unfairness of the sentence but cited minimum sentencing laws.