Sentenced: Probation for man convicted of substantial battery after punching county attorney
MILWAUKEE COUNTY (WITI) -- A 59-year-old Milwaukee man, convicted of substantial battery after he assaulted an attorney with the Milwaukee County Corporation Counsel Office in July 2014 has been sentenced.
Robert Baker
A jury found Robert Baker guilty of felony substantial battery causing intentional bodily harm.
Baker was sentenced to 12 months in the House of Correction with Huber release for medical needs with good time allowed and credit for two days time served. That sentence was stayed, and Baker was placed on probation for two years.
He is to have no contact with the victim, he must undergo a mental health evaluation and follow any treatment recommended, use no controlled substances unless legally prescribed, attend anger management classes and cognitive thinking intervention counseling, perform 50 hours of community service and pay court costs.
He has also been ordered to serve 90 days conditional time at the House of Correction with Huber for medical needs. He must report by April 29th at 5:00 p.m.
According to a news release posted on the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office website, the attorney was attacked as he returned to his office after a hearing involving Baker in civil court. The criminal complaint against Baker indicates he allegedly punched the attorney several times and struck him in the head with a metal clipboard, causing a cut near his left eye that required medical treatment.
When interviewed by police, Baker indicated "he was unhappy with how the hearing went and he felt that neither the judge nor (the lawyer) were listening to him or treating him fairly. Baker states that he believed he was owed approximately $60,000 from Milwaukee County and as a result of how the hearing went, he was not going to receive that money."
Baker told officers "he got upset and made and that he lost it." He stated, "I am sorry for what I did and again I apologize for losing it. I did lose it."
Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke issued the following statement in relation to this incident:
“Family and Civil courts present situations that are volatile and emotional. They can lead to assaults and other disturbances, such as what happened on Monday. This is precisely why I have instituted armed security at our courthouse checkpoints -- to prevent people involved in these cases from bringing weapons into the building. Contrary to County Executive Chris Abele’s and District Attorney John Chisholm’s claims that the deputies are just standing there doing nothing, those armed deputies serve as a deterrent to weapons getting passed the perimeter of the courthouse complex. In fact, one of the checkpoint deputies pursued and caught the actor as he fled the courthouse. Had that officer not have been there, this actor would have gotten away, causing us to use more time and resources to apprehend him.”