New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker’s legal troubles stemming from an alleged armed robbery in Florida last month could be behind him as early as this week.
Baker’s attorney, Patrick G. Patel, believes that Broward County officials will be dropping the four counts of armed robbery and four counts of aggravated assault charges the 22-year-old Baker was slapped with last month deriving from an incident at a party in Miramar, Florida on May 13.
“As soon this dismissal goes (through), he’s going to head back to Jersey and start practicing,” Patel told Ralph Vacchiano of SNY.tv. “If it becomes a charge, then the NFL will suspend him. So the Giants are really just playing it cool right now, which is the right thing to do. Just do nothing until the state makes a decision on what they’re going to do.”
Baker is out on $200,000 bail and has been permitted to travel to New Jersey to resume his football activities the team convenes this summer but the Giants have told Baker to stay away and concentrate on his legal issues instead.
The case against Baker was shaky from the start. Witnesses have recanted and the evidence against Baker is thin, yet the municipality charged the Giants’ 2019 first round pick, who has a pristine record with the law, anyway, along with another active NFL player, Quinton Dunbar. Patel is confident Baker will be exonerated but is still at the mercy of the Florida legal system.
“I think we’ve got the case won, to be honest with you. I think it’s only a matter of time,” Patel said. “But it’s the kid’s life. This kid will get suspended and lose his job, and then the case gets dismissed and what have we done? So everybody’s taking a wait and see approach.”
Even if the charges are dropped, Baker could still face discipline from the NFL for possible Personal Conduct Policy violations.
“Hopefully it’s a wake-up call for the young kid,” Patel said. “That’s what he needed. He wasn’t a first-round draft choice as a player last year, you know?”