Judge Bars Hawkins Publicity Plea : Says He Sees No Sign That Gun Data Precludes Fair Trial

A Superior Court judge Friday denied a request to bar pretrial publicity in a pending murder case against James Hawkins Jr. despite claims by Hawkins’ attorney that the release of court documents linking a gun owned by the defendant to the killings is “highly prejudicial (and) potentially damaging.”

Prosecutors claimed in court documents filed Thursday that a handgun seized when Hawkins was captured in Northern California last week has been identified as the same gun used in the execution-style slaying of a narcotics dealer Hawkins is accused of killing.

The motion filed by Deputy Dist. Atty. Harvey Giss said ballistic tests show that a .44-caliber Magnum pistol taken from Hawkins when he was arrested by sheriff’s deputies in Contra Costa County was used to kill Roger Grant in mid-1984. The gun was also matched to bullets found in the home of Larry Turner, a second murder victim whom Hawkins is alleged to have killed the same day.

In requesting a gag order in the case, Barry Levin, the attorney representing Hawkins, told Judge Paul Turner that he was unaware of the revelation regarding the gun until contacted by the media.

‘Potentially Damaging’

“Mr. Hawkins is on trial for his life,” Levin said. “This prejudicial, pretrial release . . . is potentially damaging. . . . I think it was highly prejudicial to file it in the court file without even notifying counsel.”

Judge Turner, however, ruled that “there’s no evidence the data . . . is going to prejudice (a jury against) the defendant in any way.” He indicated that the information will not preclude a fair trial.

Prosecutors claim in the court documents that both Larry Turner and Grant were shot by bullets from .44-caliber and .357-caliber weapons.

Although no weapons were recovered after the killings, Hawkins, 41, and a co-defendant, Marshall Bridges, were ordered to stand trial for the murders in August, 1984. If convicted, both could face the death penalty.

Escaped in November

Hawkins, the son of Watts grocer James Hawkins Sr., was in the Los Angeles Criminal Courts building for a pre-trial hearing in the case when he escaped from a 14th-floor holding area last November.

His escape came a month after he was sentenced to 28 years in prison in the 1983 shooting death of gang member Anttwon Thomas, 19. Thomas’ death had sparked violent confrontations between fellow gang members and the Hawkins family. The embattled family drew praise from both law enforcement officials and city officials because of the strong stand they took against the gang.

Hawkins, who was involved in a car chase and gun battle with police before being recaptured, remains in Contra Costa County, where he faces charges of trying to murder a sheriff’s deputy. A preliminary hearing date in that case is scheduled to be set Feb. 14.