New York Giants have many issues to address in aftermath of Baker arrest
By Ed Stein
Deandre Baker is likely done as a member of the New York Giants after the public release of eight felony accounts against him. The fallout from his actions affects Big Blue in many ways.
Thursday, disturbing news about eight felony counts against New York Giants cornerback Deandre Baker was released by police. The charges filed in Mirimar, FL, stemmed from an altercation earlier in the week. Baker, Seattle CB Quinton Dunbar, and another man, in a red mask, are alleged to have held people attending a party at gunpoint and robbed them. You can find the charges against Baker here.
After reading the arrest warrant, it’s not hard to see the district attorney adding more charges before taking the case to court. Among other things, a witness told police that Baker ordered an accomplice to shot one of the victims.
The former Georgia Bulldogs star may be in jail until he is old and gray. According to CBS Sports’ legal analyst Amy Dash, if Baker had a semiautomatic weapon, as the warrant indicates, he faces up to 15 years in prison, if found guilty, for each of the four counts of armed robbery against him. Other sentences would be up to the judge.
Update: If Giants CB Deandre Baker was in fact holding a semiautomatic - as the witnesses say, he would face 15 year mandatory minimum on each of the 4 armed robbery charges if convicted (unless he gets a deal.) Aggravated assault charges up to Judge
— Amy Dash (@AmyDashTV) May 15, 2020
This incident is a huge black eye to the entire team. While the New York Giants haven’t always had the best citizens on their roster, for the most part, their players stay out of trouble with the law. In the rare instances when there has been a legal issue (Plaxico Burress, Josh Brown), Team President John Mara has been cautious about taking action. What Janoris Jenkins did last year for the Giants to terminate his contract in November wasn’t due to a criminal act, it was because of the public relations nightmare he caused with an insensitive tweet.
It’s unlikely Baker will play for the New York Giants again. Armed robbery and assault with a firearm will not fly in the NFL. For many reasons, Baker’s actions leave the New York Giants in a very precarious spot, with several issues the organization must face. Aside from filling his starting cornerback position, they include financial, legal, procedural, and salary cap issues.