The 18-year-old Baker City man who was driving the vehicle that crashed into a tree early on Dec. 23 in west Baker City, injuring all six passengers, has a court hearing scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at 2 p.m. in Baker County Circuit Court.

Izek Matthew Cleveland is charged with driving under the influence of intoxicants, five counts of second-degree assault, and six counts of recklessly endangering another person.

His most recent court appearance was on March 26.

Wednesday’s hearing is listed in court records as a status check.

During a Feb. 24 hearing, Judge Matt Shirtcliff entered not guilty pleas on Cleveland’s behalf on each of the charges.

Cleveland is represented by William Thomson of Baker City.

Deena Ryerson, one of two Oregon Department of Justice attorneys prosecuting Cleveland due to Baker County District Attorney Greg Baxter’s conflict of interest, told Shirtcliff during the Feb. 24 hearing that she has talked with victims about the possibility that some charges of second-degree assault against Cleveland, the charge that has the most severe potential penalty, will be reduced based on the extent of injuries to some passengers.

Second-degree assault is a Measure 11 offense in Oregon, which carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 5 years and 10 months on conviction.

The crash

Cleveland was arrested at the scene of the crash, which happened around 1:20 a.m. Dec. 23, on 17th Street near Grace Street. He was released from the Baker County Jail on Christmas Day after posting $6,000, 10% of his bail.

The 2008 Ford Escape Cleveland was driving crashed into a tree. He had six passengers, all ages 18 or 19.

In a probable cause affidavit, Baker City Police officer Mason Powell wrote that Cleveland “admitted to using cocaine because he thought it would help sober him up for driving.”

Powell wrote that Cleveland’s blood alcohol level was 0.12, above Oregon’s legal limit of 0.08.

Baxter, the district attorney, said he has a personal conflict of interest in the case because he has had several conversations previously with Cleveland with a goal of helping Cleveland. As a result, Baxter said he didn’t think it was appropriate for him, or one of his two deputies, to prosecute the case. Instead he asked the department of justice to handle the prosecution.

Shirtcliff on Feb. 24 amended Cleveland’s release agreement to specify that Cleveland is not allowed to drive while the criminal case is pending.

Thomson told the judge during that hearing that he and the prosecutors had discussed a possible settlement in the case. Thomson also told the judge that Cleveland, a 2024 Baker High School graduate, is undergoing treatment in La Grande, where he is a student at Eastern Oregon University.