Baron waives hearing, pleads not guilty

Ryan Baron, the former Midkota superintendent and high school principal facing more than a dozen charges related to child pornography, has waived his preliminary hearing scheduled for April 23 and entered not guilty pleas on all counts.

Baron was first arrested in November of last year on five counts for possession of certain materials prohibited, thanks to a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Months later, he was charged with seven additional counts for the same offense – each a Class C felony – as well as one count for allegedly directing a 12-year-old student to send him explicit photos, a Class A felony.

In both cases Baron chose to waive his right to a preliminary hearing, during which the prosecution would have to convince the judge that probable cause exists for each count, and that Baron is the one who committed them.

If the judge were to determine probable cause for any charge isn't sufficient, he would have them dismissed.

However, Baron has chosen to skip that process and move straight into an arraignment, pleading not guilty on all charges.

The not guilty pleas clear the way for an eventual trial, though there is still a chance Baron could reach a plea agreement or simply amend his pleas to guilty at a later date.

Baron's next court appearance, a pre-trial conference, has been scheduled for Wednesday, May 28 at 10:15 a.m. at the Griggs County Courthouse in Cooperstown, N.D.

Each Class C felony filed against Baron carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine of $10,000, or both, while the Class A felony carries a maximum sentence of 20 years' imprisonment and/or a fine of $20,000.

Baron is considered innocent unless proven guilty.