Phyllis Giles, the mother of Michael Giles, has filed a petition on Change. org to have her son’s 25 year mandatory minimum sentence to be commuted. Michael Giles, who is a veteran U.S Airman, was attacked outside of a club in Tallahassee, FL. His attacker admitted in court that he attacked Michael without provocation. The aggressor’s friend also admitted that
Michael Giles found himself in danger and fired one shot to the aggressor’s leg. Obviously if the attacker appeared in court, he didn’t die. Michael Giles had no prior offenses and had no history of violence.
Michael Giles was given a 25 year mandatory minimum for “Standing His Ground. ” All I can do is shake my head. George Zimmerman is running still causing a raucous and Michael Giles is imprisoned.
Here is the Phyllis Giles’ full petition below. Three years ago my son Michael was attacked outside of a club in Tallahassee, FL. His attacker admitted in open court that he attacked Michael with no provocation.
Michael’s attacker admitted he was angry that someone had interrupted his dance, and wanted to hurt the next person he saw. That next person standing to the side, not partaking in the violence, was Michael. His attacker was not fighting alone, state witnesses testified that there were between 30-40 people involved in the brawl.
The state’s own witnesses also testified that the aggressor instigated several other fights that night, and was acting erratically and violently. His attacker’s own friend testified
He had no prior criminal offenses, no history of violence, and was a outstanding father and Airman. So we do not understand how the state of Florida could sentence him to a mandatory 25 years for defending himself. Michael has been trained to analyze threats and believed at that moment he needed to defend himself.
He realized that his attacker and his attacker’s friends had the upper-hand in numbers and he could have been seriously injured or killed. In his desperate attempt to gain the opportunity to get to his feet and flee, he fired his legally registered weapon and accidentally struck, but did not seriously injure, his attacker in the leg.
Despite overwhelming evidence from state witnesses that Michael was attacked first without provocation, and the fact that he did not continue firing, and removed himself from the immediate area as soon as he could.
Michael was not offered a plea from the state. He was thus charged with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon causing bodily harm & sentenced to a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. His Judge stated “Frankly, I think the 25-year mandatory is overly harsh based on the facts of this case, but that’s what the law requires I do and I intend to follow the law.
” The officer who prepared Michael’s sentencing recommendation, recommended Michael be given probation due to her investigation. She felt that Michael would be an ideal candidate for probation, thus saving tax payers money. The state rejected her professional recommendation and pu
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