Everything about the legal situation surrounding New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker feels like a bad true crime documentary made along the same vein as “Making a Murderer” or even “Tiger King.”
Each of those shows were highlighted by bizarre and unexpected twists and turns, strange decisions made by lawyers and law enforcement, and sketchy characters that seemed to emanate more from “Breaking Bad” than real life.
Baker’s case is no different.
On Thursday, things got even stranger for Baker, his attorneys and pretty much everyone involved in the case as Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News reported that no Florida State Attorneys’ office is investigating Dominic Johnson, who was a star witness in the alleged armed robbery involving Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar.
Believe it or not, it does not appear any Florida state attorney's office is prosecuting Dominic Johnson, the alleged witness to DeAndre Baker's & Quinton Dunbar's alleged crime who also is alleged to have organized alleged victims' pay-off described in my story in July (Thread) https://t.co/4EP3b2mxaj
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) August 20, 2020
As Leonard dug into the reasoning behind the lack of investigation, he was given quite the runaround with the Broward State Attorney’s Office and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office offering conflicting information, essentially pointing fingers at each other.
Here is the subsequent series of tweets from Leonard describing that:
So I reached out to Miami-Dade State Attorney's office. Spokesperson claimed: "We have had no investigative contacts on this matter from either the Miramar Police Department nor from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, who we believe were involved in this matter." (cont'd)
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) August 20, 2020
Then I heard again from Miami-Dade SA spokesperson: "I have since learned, previously unknown to me, that the Miramar police had sent emails to a Miami-Dade ASA regarding expanding their criminal investigation of DeAndre Baker … (cont'd)
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) August 20, 2020
So Broward claims no jurisdiction over any possible Johnson charges, although original alleged crime occurred in Broward.
Miami-Dade first claims it wasn't contacted, then shifts and says well it was contacted, but this still isn't where the case belongs.
And on & on we go …
— Pat Leonard (@PLeonardNYDN) August 20, 2020
Florida prosecutors had previously announced that they would not pursue charges against Dunbar, citing a lack of evidence, but did proceed with four counts of robbery with a firearm against Baker, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison with the maximum sentence being life in prison.
Now it’s beginning to appear as if no one in Florida is interested in pursuing charges or an investigation against anyone other than the 22-year-old Baker, who has long maintained his innocence.
Even Dunbar himself appeared to defend Baker shortly after avoiding charges.
For now, Baker remains on the commissioner’s exempt list and has an arraignment scheduled for September 15.
[lawrence-related id=654265,653783,653734]