Ex-senator’s two-day pass draws objection

A prosecutor asked a federal court Thursday to reconsider a decision allowing Gilbert Baker to leave an in-patient substance-abuse treatment center for more than two days this month, saying that long of an absence might interfere with Baker’s treatment program.

Baker, 62, of Conway is undergoing treatment at Freedom House in Russellville under court order as a condition of his release while awaiting trial on bribery and other charges.

On Wednesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Harris had granted the former state senator’s request to leave the center from 3 p.m. Feb. 22 through 5 p.m. Feb. 24 so that he could attend a son’s wedding rehearsal dinner and wedding in Conway.

Baker’s attorney said in the request that a prosecutor in the U.S. attorney’s office had authorized him “to state the government has no objection to this request if the pretrial services office approves.”

In asking Harris to reconsider her decision, Michael Gordon, who is criminal chief for the U.S. attorney’s office, said that office “believes there has been an inadvertent misunderstanding with defense counsel.”

“The United States does not oppose the defendant attending his son’s wedding if Pretrial Services approves,” Gordon added. “However, the United States was not aware that the defendant would be requesting a [50-hour] pass, which amounts to the defendant missing more than two full days of his [30-day] treatment program.”

Gordon said the prosecutor’s office had spoken with the pretrial-services officer who is supervising Baker.

“After speaking with [the officer], who consulted with the defendant’s counselor at Freedom House, the United States understands the recommendation of Pretrial Services and the Freedom House to be a day pass for the wedding,” from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Feb 23, Gordon said.