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"We the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant, Carla Jimenez not guilty."
Carla Jimenez was accused of encouraging her 12-year-old daughter to fight another girl. Video of the fight was posted on YouTube. Jimenez faced misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
A Fresno County jury deliberated two hours before returning a not guilty verdict. We spoke with Jimenez, and a juror after the trial.
Carla Jimenez said, "I am found not guilty, you know, but still, I want to put this behind us, my daughter can start healing, that's what this was all about, and I never wanted any harm."
Reggie Derryberry said, "All I can tell you is it didn't appear to be a criminal act. Bunch of school girls got together, had a scuffle, mom went to the scene, in hindsight maybe didn't handle it correctly, but didn't have the criminal intent. At least it wasn't proven to our satisfaction."
Reggie Derryberry said the jury was convinced that Jimenez' daughter had been the victim of bullying.
Another woman Nancy Ramirez who is a close friend of Jimenez was also charged in the case. She pleaded guilty to the same charges and will be sentenced later this month.
