BREAKING NEWS: Victoria Walker was sentenced to 90 days with credit for the 32 days that she has already served.
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A jury found Victoria Walker guilty of battery Friday, after deliberating for less than two hours.
Walker, 51, could have been convicted of aggravated battery, a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison, for beating Aimee Krause at Disney World's Mad Tea Party ride last year. But, the jury chose to find her guilty of the lesser charge, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
The jury acquitted Walker on an additional battery charge for allegedly pushing Krause's daughter Amber, then 7, into a fence. It also found that Krause, 35, suffered minor injuries in the incident.
After the trial, Walker's son, Toney Phillips, said that he felt his mother should never have been charged with a crime, noting that deputies allowed her to return to Alabama following the April 27 incident. She wasn't arrested until July.
"If she had beaten [Krause]so badly, they would have arrested her that night," he said. "This was a common-sense case, and it shouldn't have gone so far." The severity of Krause's injuries was a focal point for both sides during the trial. Two expert witnesses testified that Krause suffered permanent brain damage from a concussion she suffered when Walker jerked her head backward by the hair, and another described how he performed surgery of both of her knees to correct injuries he believed stemmed from the incident.
But, the defense implied that Krause exaggerated her injuries, and suggested that she might hope to profit financial by seeking punitive damages from Walker or by suing Disney World. Walker's attorney, David Allen, repeatedly noted that there was little physical evidence to prove that Krause suffered from brain damage because traditional tests like MRI's do not reveal evidence of a concussion.
On Friday, Allen tried to introduce two last-minute witnesses who he hoped would be able to cast doubt on Krause's honesty and suggest and suggested she had a history of aggressive behavior.
The two prospective witnesses were Cynthia Kinat and Tricia Murphy, who are both administrators at Pine Ridge Elementary in Clermont, where Krause's two children are students. Kinat is the school's principal and Murphy is the assistant principal.
Allen hoped that the women would be able to testify about Krause's reputation for truthfulness in her community, but, after the information they had to offer, Judge Jose Rodriguez refused to allow them to appear before the jury, saying that the women did not know enough people who interact with Krause to be able to comment on the opinions of a "community." Murphy also said that Krause had behaved aggressively on Pine Ridge's campus, but Rodriguez found that since Murphy could only point to examples of Krause's verbal aggression, her testimony wasn't relevant in Walker's case.
After the verdict was delivered, Krause said she was happy with the jury's decision.
"I'm very pleased that she was convicted of a crime," she said.
But, after learning of Kinat and Murphy's allegations, she is reluctant to send her children back to Pine Ridge Elementary. Her attorney, Eben Self, said that Krause and her family are considering moving from Clermont.
"She has great concern about the safety of her children in the Lake County School system," Self said.
DH Bill is mowing the lawn, as it will be a foot tall by the time we return.
when I read your quest for OSU crocs. My DS and I went shopping yesterday for an LSU beanie for my DGS Austin. You will recognize him by all of his LSU apparel - he's a diehard fan!! 
I smell a friendly rivalry brewing......
hehe
And the REST of the packing done!!!
Here's hoping it isn't too bad a day for him.
