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Giants' DeAndre Baker's Charges Will Be Dismissed 'Soon,' Says Attorney
May 18, 2020
A lawyer for New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker is confident the four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault against his client will be thrown out.
"This case is going to be dismissed," he told Paul Schwartz of the New York Post on Monday. "One day soon, this case is gonna be dismissed."
Baker's arrest warrant said he and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar stole $12,000 and expensive watches after holding up a house party. The warrant also said "Baker pointed a gun at a victim and told an unidentified masked assailant to shoot someone walking into the party."
Patel says his client was set up to be extorted in the case. Per Schwartz, "Four of the alleged victims have already recanted the statements they gave police regarding Dunbar's involvement. Patel said he did not seek statements from those victims and cannot get them now, because all four have hired lawyers."
He also said he questions the credibility of the victims in the case.
"We need to question the credibility of the victims," he said. "We're all just taking the victims' word as gospel. The victims have already recanted against Dunbar and I wasn't comfortable going to these victims and getting them to sign papers because they’re already waffling and making up stories."
Additionally, Patel denied Baker had lost $70,000 in a dice game several days before the alleged robbery, or that he had three cars "prepositioned" at the house the night of the party as potential getaway vehicles.
A friend of both Baker and Dunbar, Dominick Johnson, said in an affidavit that Baker didn't steal anything and he did not fear for his life during the party in question.
If convicted, Baker could face 15 years for each of the armed robbery charges. Dunbar is also facing four counts of armed robbery.
Baker, 22, appeared in 16 games for the Giants in his rookie season last year, registering 61 tackles and eight passes defensed. The Giants told him to remain away from team meetings while the legal proceedings take place, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN.