Sentencing day in Granny Law case

BATAVIA, N.Y. (WIVB) - The woman who slugged an elderly Walmart greeter could be celebrating the holidays in prison.

Twenty-seven-year-old Jacquetta Simmons was convicted of felony second-degree assault in August. Wednesday, she will learn her sentence in a Genesee County court room.

It all happened last Christmas Eve, when 70-year-old Grace Suozzi, a Walmart employee, asked Simmons to show a receipt. In the included surveillance video, you can see the punch that sent Souzzi flying to the ground.

It took the jury about two hours of deliberation before reaching the verdict.

Genesee County District Attorney Lawrence Freidman said, “I felt very strongly about this case as far as what happened to this poor little lady, and we obviously wanted to obtain justice for her and I think we've done that.”

Simmons conviction was under the state’s new Granny Law, making it a felony to intentionally cause injury to a person 65 years old or older, providing the defendant is at least ten years younger.

Simmons’ lawyer Earl Key is appealing the conviction. Key said, “I think the media coverage, no offense to you, definitely hurt her chances for a fair trial. During jury selection we didn't have one juror, that said that they had, well a couple, not very many, that had not heard about this case."

Jacquetta Simmons faces up to seven years in prison when she is sentenced Wednesday.