Brooklyn State Sen. Kevin Parker was convicted of misdemeanor charges but cleared of felony Tuesday afternoon in the beating of a photographer.

A Brooklyn Supreme Court Jury at 12:50 p.m. returned the verdict in the case involving a May 2009 attack on a New York Post photographer.
Parker faced seven years in prison if convicted of felony – and would automatically have lost his Senate post.

He rejected a plea deal to misdemeanor charges – which would have meant no automatic ouster from the Senate – and took his chances with a jury.

Prosecutors said Parker flew into a rage when the photog began snapping photos of him in connection with a story about the foreclosure of his Brooklyn home.

Parker was accused of trying to steal the journalist�s camera, breaking it, wrecking the interior of the photographer�s car, and smashing the victim�s finger.

(Source: NY Daily News)