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	DA Drops Plans to Place Priest Convicted of Child Molestation in State Hospital By Ruby Gonzales San Gabriel Valley Tribune September 30, 2011 http://www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_19016380 The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office on Friday halted its efforts to place a former priest convicted of child molestation in a state hospital. Prosecutors asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to dismiss their civil commitment petition against 63-year-old Michael Baker, who molested two boys he met in churches in Pico Rivera and Los Angeles. Baker's 2007 plea deal led to the case being dropped. The law requires a conviction of a sexually violent offense before a petition can be filed, according to a statement by the DA's Office. The prosecution pointed out that the charges Baker pleaded guilty to on Dec.3, 2007 - 12 felony counts of oral copulation on a person under 18 - aren't deemed sexually violent offenses. The charges don't involve any acts that were accomplished against the will of the victim by means of force, violence or fear of immediate bodily injury, according to the statement. In addition, the prosecution said the two victims were not under 14 when the molestation happened. "We evaluated the case. We came to this conclusion," said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the DA's Office. "In the interest of justice, we took it into court this morning instead of waiting for another week." Baker was supposed to be back in a Los Angeles Court on Oct. 7 for a hearing on a media request. His attorney, Donald Steier, didn't return a phone call Friday night. Deputy Kenaley said Friday night that records showed Baker was still at the court and hadn't returned to the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. He said he doubted Baker would be released because there is a hold from an agency identified as SATF. He said it could be the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But ATF spokesman Christian Hoffman said Baker isn't a target of any of their investigations. Baker was supposed to have been paroled Aug. 23 after serving one-third of his 10-year, 4-month sentence. Prosecutors filed the civil commitment request three days later and Baker was sent from state prison to county jail. Baker admitted molesting two boys between 1994 and 1997 when they were between 14 and 18. They were identified in court records only as John Doe and John Doe 2. Baker met John Doe, who was then 7, when he was a priest at St. Hilary in Pico Rivera. The boy's family moved back to Mexico but Baker visited them. He arranged four plane trips for the boy in 1994, which included visits to a San Diego home and a Palm Springs condo. He admitted molesting John Doe at least twice in Palm Springs, as well as during trips to Los Angeles where they shared a motel room and at two residences in Long Beach. Baker and the Los Angeles Archdiocese settled with John Doe and his brother for $1.25 million in 2000. The criminal case was filed in 2006. John Doe 2 was a 15-year-old altar boy at St. Columbkille, in Los Angeles, when he first met Baker, according to sheriff's detectives. Baker told John Doe 2 they were joined for life. He often spent time alone with the boy from 1996 to 1998, according to prosecutors. The victim was molested during a trip to San Diego and at Baker's home in Long Beach. Other alleged victims of the former priest are critical of the way then-Cardinal Roger Mahony handled Baker's case. They pointed out that Mahony sent Baker to other parishes after the priest told the cardinal in 1986 that he had a relationship with two boys for seven years. The archdiocese sent Baker to be treated at a New Mexico facility. In 1987, he was assigned to work with restrictions at other parishes. John Doe and John Doe 2 were molested seven years later.
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