In a verdict that capped off a case involving underage drinking and a former Brevard County teacher, Karly Anderson has been found guilty of disorderly intoxication and resisting an officer without violence. According to reports from WFTV, the conviction stems from a January house party where police encountered over 100 minors, some consuming alcohol. Anderson's lawyer insisted his client did not drink with the teens nor supply them with alcohol. However, witnesses claimed Anderson interfered with the care of an intoxicated teen.
The incident, which drew law enforcement to the home of former school principal Elizabeth Hill-Brodigan, was captured on police body cameras. Anderson, a former third-grade teacher, was seen confronting officers as they attended to a sick teenager. Additional coverage by WESH highlights that Anderson isn't scheduled for jail time, instead receiving one year of probation, 100 hours of community service, and orders for random drug and alcohol testing while on probation. She has been instructed to pay for the Cocoa Beach Police Department's investigation and make a $500 donation to the Children's Advocacy Center.
Adding to the party's aftermath, students told police such gatherings occurred once or twice a month at Hill-Brodigan’s residence. They were advertised on Snapchat, with alcohol available in coolers and allegations of marijuana use and even the brandishing of a firearm, as reported by students interviewed in an arrest report detailed by WESH. On her part, Hill-Brodigan is currently facing a felony charge for child neglect and additional misdemeanor charges, with her court proceedings expected to start in June.
While no jail time was mandated, the court ordered Anderson to also complete an additional 50 hours of community service to a nonprofit agency and participate in random drug and alcohol screenings for the first six months of her sentence, as reported by FOX 35 Orlando. Anderson has indicated that she will file an appeal, and after her attorney Kenneth Weaver steps down by month's end, a public defender will take over her representation.
