Counsel Discuss Preparations for Appeal Hearing

By D.C. Witness Staff - December 21, 2018
Court | Daily Stories | Homicides | Post Disposition |

During a post-disposition status hearing, a convicted murderer’s defense counsel motioned for a new trial.

Dawan Felder

In 2012, Darnell Leon Hawkins was convicted of first-degree murder while armed, among other charges,  for shooting Dawan Anthony Felder on the 5000 block of D Street, SE two years prior.

Hawkins is currently carrying out a 47-year sentence at the Atwater United States Penitentiary in California.

In February, the defense motioned for a new trial, saying the defendant’s previous attorney, Dorsey Jones,  gave ineffective assistance during the trial.

On Dec. 21, Hawkin’s defense attorney, Thomas Healy, notified the court that he planned to call Jones and potentially a few other unnamed individuals to testify during an evidentiary hearing. Healy said the hearing should take a maximum of four hours.

In turn, the prosecution said they only planned to call Jones as their witness. The prosecutor said she also plans to submit paperwork in order to facilitate the defendant’s travel from California to Washington, DC for the hearing.

The post conviction evidentiary hearing is scheduled on April 19, 2019.