Everything to Know About the ‘State of Alabama Vs. Brittany Smith’ Before You Watch the Netflix True Crime Documentary

Netflix drops another true crime documentary, State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith on Nov. 10, 2022. It’s a similar story to Sally McNeil in the Killer Sally docuseries. Brittany reconnected with an acquaintance, Joshua “Todd” Smith and let him stay at her house after hearing he was homeless. However, she never expected what happened next. She reported that he brutally beat and raped her before the altercation ended in his death. Here’s everything you need to know about State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith on Netflix.

What is the ‘State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith’ about on Netflix? 

State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith is about a woman who attempts to use Alabama’s Stand Your Ground Law after killing a man, Joshua “Todd” Smith, who she alleges brutally attacked her. 

“Mom Todd has tried to kill me literally,” Brittany texted her mother, Ramona McCallie, on Jan. 16, 2018. “ Don’t act like anything is wrong…he will kill me if he knows.”

According to The Appeal, a few minutes later, Brittany’s brother, Chris McCallie arrived at Brittany’s house in Stevenson, Alabama. He brought a pistol, ready to defend his sister against Todd. Chris placed the gun on the counter and told Todd to leave. Instead, Todd put Chris in a headlock and began punching Brittany’s brother. At that point, Brittany, who said that Todd had raped her earlier that night, took the pistol and warned Todd that she was going to shoot him. 

When Todd did not back off, she fired once, but he continued to beat Chris. Then she fired several more times until Todd fell to the ground. Brittany called 911 and an ambulance rushed Todd to a hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Within 48 hours, the Jackson County District Attorney Office charged Brittany with murder despite a report from a rape crisis center of the 33 wounds on Brittany’s body.

The State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith details the incident and Brittany’s attempt to use Alabama’s Stand Your Ground Law to get the charges against her dropped.

Brittany Smith lost her Stand Your Ground Hearing

The State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith delves into her attempt to get the murder ruling overturned using a Stand Your Ground statute. Alabama is only one of 25 states which have a Stand Your Ground law. The statute makes it legal to use lethal force to defend yourself against imminent threats. If she won the hearing, Brittany would have immunity from further prosecution. However, according to The New Yorker, she lost the hearing on Feb. 3, 2020.

“She believed Todd Smith was going to cause serious injury to herself or her brother,” Brittany’s lawyer, Ron Smith, said in his closing argument. “He was told to leave; he did not leave. He unlawfully remained.” 

However, Judge Jennifer Holt ruled against Brittany stating that “inconsistent accounts of the events surrounding Todd’s death.” Initially, Brittany’s brother, Chris attempted to take the fall for shooting Todd, believing that he had more chance to get off on self-defense charges than a woman. However, one day after reporting to police that her brother shot Todd, Brittany revealed the truth.

Where is Brittany Smith today? 

According to the Jackson County Sentinel, Brittany began house arrest in May 2021; however, she violated her probation four times. After the most recent violation, Circuit Judge Brent Benson ordered Smith to prison for nine months. She could be released on Dec. 7, 2022, to return to house arrest.

The next step in her defense is a writ of mandamus to the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals to request that the court order the judge to reverse the decision. If that fails, she could request the same order from the Alabama Supreme Court. 

State of Alabama vs. Brittany Smith releases to Netflix on Nov. 10, 2022, at 3:00 a.m. ET/ 12:00 a.m. PT.