Charles City man guilty of second drunk driving offense, immediately accused of violating probation

CHARLES CITY – A wanted Charles City man was caught by police in his second drunk driving offense.

On January 1, 2016 around 5:30 PM, police stopped a vehicle near Bunn Avenue and Clark Street. After an investigation at the scene, the driver, 34-year-old Josha Darnell Baker was arrested on a charge of second-offense operating while intoxicated and no driver’s license. Baker was also wanted on an arrest warrant connected to an assault case he was found guilty in by a jury in July of 2015. Baker was jailed and released on January 4. In May, Baker pled guilty to the drunk driving charge and was put on probation for 2 years, given a 365 day jail sentence with all but 7 days suspended, and ordered to pay $2,846.75 in fines and court fees. His driver’s license was also revoked and he had to submit a DNA sample.

Soon thereafter, Baker was accused of violating his probation and a warrant for his arrest was issued by a judge on August 4. Three days later, on August 8, Charles City police were called to the 2100 block of Clarkview Drive, home to the low-income public assistance Morningside Apartments. There, officers found a married couple outside yelling. Baker was apprehended there and taken to jail on the warrant.

Baker later pled guilty to contempt of court. On Tuesday, August 16, he was sentenced to 7 days in jail.

Baker was guilty of drunk driving in August of 2015 after an arrest by Osage police. At the time of his second drunk driving arrest in January, he was on probation in Floyd county due to an assault conviction connected to a domestic incident, but does not appear to have faced a consequence so far.