Minn. fugitive seeks 'political asylum' in Montana

BILLINGS (AP) — A convicted sex offender who absconded from supervision in Minnesota told a judge he wanted to seek "political asylum" in Montana because his parole officers are violating his constitutional rights.

The Billings Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1n3iZY7 ) 49-year-old Robert Thomas Baca protested angrily on Friday when District Judge Ingrid Gustafson explained that Montana cannot legally give political asylum to residents of other states.

Baca served nearly 10 years in prison and is classified as a Level 3 predatory offender after being convicted of raping a woman in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, in 1996. He has twice been returned to prison for violating the sex offender registration law.

Baca was arrested in Billings on June 11, just days after he fled supervised release in Detroit Lakes. Gustafson told Baca he would remain jailed without bond until he can be returned to Minnesota.

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