Man sentenced on trio of charges

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SANDPOINT — The man who asked to be sentenced to life in prison earlier this month was instead sentenced to a minimum of 25 years for the charges, which included rape and attempted first-degree murder.

Ezra Tyrone Baker, 23, was sentenced Thursday by First District Judge Barbara Buchanan. Charges against Baker come from three separate cases which include lewd conduct, assault on a correctional officer and being a persistent violator. He entered guilty pleas for his two most recent cases stemming from events that occurred while he was incarcerated.

Before the sentence was handed down, Buchanan asked Baker if there were any corrections he wanted to make before proceeding, he said,

“I’m actually content with what I’ve heard. So I think we should move on to sentencing. I guess I want life imprisonment. And that’s all.”

Baker was caught on jail footage kicking his cellmate in the head 25 times. He showed no remorse for the assault, telling law enforcement that he wished he would have died. His cellmate received a concussion and 12 stitches for a laceration above his eyebrow as a result of the attack.

During sentencing for this case, Baker told the court “what I did was justified.” He alleged that his cellmate was talking about his family and other matters involving his personal life. Baker alleged that the remarks caused him to lash out at his cellmate who was resting on the lower bunk bed when Baker assaulted him.

“These cases are unfathomable to me, Mr.Baker. We all watched the video in the jail cell and [he] was asleep,” Buchanan said.

Baker disagreed, saying that the audio captured with the footage was too quiet to pick up on the conversation between Baker and his cellmate.

“It appears to the court that this was completely unprovoked,” Buchanan continued after the interruption, “And I have to agree with Mr. Lepire said and what you’re aski--”

“Well, if you want an argument,” Baker interrupted again, “I can provide one, but I’d rather just have you sentence me to life in prison or we can just drop this whole thing. And I wouldn’t have to, you know, sit here and talk to you about it,”

Buchanan then sentenced Baker to the maximum penalty of 15 years.

Baker also was caught on jail footage head-butting a correctional officer with such force, that the officer lost his balance and fell into a nearby concrete wall. The officer suffered a mild concussion, a broken molar, and a broken nose, according to court documents.

“With regard to our jail staff,” Buchanan said, “they put themselves at risk every day they go in there. And people like you, they have to be protected from. Absolutely unprovoked.”

Buchanan described the attack as violent, unprovoked, and dangerous before imposing the maximum penalty of five years for the offense.

Buchanan then explained to Baker that he will serve 25 years before being eligible for parole. She also waived imposing fines and court costs citing that Baker did not have any means to pay them. She then recessed the sentencing hearing, but talk between the judge and the convicted wasn’t over.

“So, you sentenced me to life in prison?” Baker said.

“I sentenced you to a minimum of 25 years,” Buchanan responded.

“Could you say ‘I sentence you to life in prison?’” Baker asked.

“We’re done,” Buchanan right before Baker was escorted out of the courtroom.