AUGUSTA — A city man was cleared by a jury of a charge of domestic violence assault that stemmed from an incident on Jan. 10 in Waterville.
Jesse Lee Baker, 34, of Augusta and Randolph was indicted on that charge in March.
A jury deliberated about half an hour before returning the verdict in the one-day trial Thursday at the Capital Judicial Center.
Baker’s attorney, Kevin Sullivan, said Thursday that Baker testified that it was a case of self-defense. “We think that was what the verdict was based on,” Sullivan said afterward.
He said the injury, if any, was minor.
“It was a case that we had to try because (Baker) has three prior domestic violence convictions,” District Attorney Maeghan Maloney said on Friday. “We knew from the beginning it was going to be who the jury believed.” She said the prosecution could not tell jurors about the previous convictions.
Despite the “not guilty” verdict, Baker remains in jail. He was arrested Aug. 31 on a charge of violation of condition of release and a violation of a protective order for allegedly being at the home of the person identified as the victim in the domestic violence case.
According to an affidavit by Waterville police Officer Codey Fabian, Baker answered the door of that house.
Baker is scheduled for a Nov. 16 dispositional hearing in that case at the same courthouse.
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