Shaw pleads guilty, sentenced to 28 years
By Garrett Christensen on Thursday, February 23rd, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – On February 21, 2023, Jerry Shaw, 40, of Baker City, was sentenced to the custody of the Oregon Department of Corrections for a period of 28 years. Mr. Shaw plead guilty to three counts of Attempted Sodomy in the First Degree. The victim, who was his daughter, was in the courtroom surrounded by friends and family, as the sentence was pronounced by Judge Matthew B. Shirtcliff.
Baker County District Attorney Greg M. Baxter, on behalf of the victim, told the court that the victim and her mother were fine with the sentence, since a trial would have meant that the daughter would have had to testify about the heinous actions of her father. Ultimately the victim, her family and Mr. Baxter felt that this sentence would allow the victim to move on with her life without having to be further weighed down by the stress of testifying in court.
During the sentencing hearing, the court heard how the abuse happened repeatedly over a lengthy period while the victim was between the ages of 8 and 12. Defense counsel argued that Mr. Shaw should be allowed to participate in certain DOC alcohol and drug programs that would have allowed him to have some of his sentence reduced. Ultimately Judge Shirtcliff denied the request, finding that Mr. Shaw’s addictions did not have a bearing on his criminal actions.
The victim, who is a senior at Baker High School, asked to be identified in open court. Despite not typically naming the victim in court, Baxter said that “the victim wants to be a role model for other child victims, so that they can see that it is possible to overcome horrible things like this.”
The Baker City Police Chief and Detective’s Unit handled the investigation during the summer of 2022.
