Gilbert Baker, former UCA music professor and lobbyist, was acquitted Aug. 12 on a conspiracy charge in a lengthy federal court trial.

A mistrial was declared on an additional seven counts of wire fraud and one count of bribery because the jury could not reach a unanimous decision on the charges.

Baker was indicted in January 2019 for conspiracy, bribery and seven counts of wire services fraud.

Baker was accused of conspiring with nursing home owner Michael Morton to give money to former circuit judge Mike Maggio so that Maggio would reduce the judgment in a lawsuit against Morton.

Morton faced a $5.2 million judgment in a negligence suit filed by the family of Martha Bull.

Bull was admitted to Morton’s nursing home in Greenbrier for what should’ve been a one-month rehabilitation, but died after two weeks.

A jury returned the judgment against Morton in May 2013, and in July he wrote checks totaling $30,000 to 10 political action committees (PAC) that Baker formed. Baker then directed the money to Maggio.

Prosecutors argued that Baker had Morton donate to PACs rather than donate directly to Maggio in order to cover up the bribery.

They also argued that Morton characteristically did not write checks to PACs, but instead chose to donate directly to a campaign, as he had done with Arkansas Supreme Court Justice Rhonda Wood.

The day after the checks were delivered to Baker, Maggio reduced the judgment from $5.2 million to $1 million.

Maggio testified at Baker’s trial that he reduced the judgment not only because he was bribed but because he felt it was the right thing to do.

The defense reminded the jury that Maggio is not always a credible source, stating that he attempted to change his plea many times after pleading guilty to a bribery charge. Maggio is serving a 10-year sentence in federal prison.

Former UCA President Tom Courtway also took the stand at Baker’s trial as his former employer. Courtway declined to comment for this article.

Morton donated $100,000 to the UCA Foundation around the same time he wrote the checks to the PACs, but UCA returned the money in March 2014 after questions about Baker’s relationship with Morton began to emerge.

Baker was part of the UCA music faculty, he left the university to serve in the Arkansas Senate and returned to UCA as a lobbyist and fundraiser.

Courtway fired Baker from this position when Baker was found lobbying for parties other than UCA.

Because he was a tenured faculty member, Baker was able to remain at UCA as part of the music faculty.

He was still working at the university when he was indicted in 2019 but has since retired.

Shortly after the trial, the U.S. attorney’s office filed a motion to give prosecutors the chance to discuss deliberations with the jury and build a stronger case in the event of a retrial. Prosecutors are deliberating whether to retry Baker on the seven counts of wire services fraud and one count of bribery, which they have until Aug. 30 to decide.

If retried and convicted, Baker could serve 20 years for each count of wire services fraud and 10 years for bribery.

Baker was not willing to discuss specifics about the trial until after the prosecutors decided whether to retry him.

“I’m grateful for the process. I had incredible support from my family and friends. I had an outstanding defense team,” Baker said.