Jan. 12--The surprise release of former El Rukn general Earl Hawkins from prison more than a decade sooner than had been expected was not the result of any conspiracy to reward Hawkins for his recent testimony in two civil proceedings involving a former gang cohort, federal prosecutors wrote in a recent court filing.
Last month, the Tribune reported that Hawkins, one of the most legendary informants in Chicago history who was once described by prosecutors as a "trained killer," was quietly freed from prison to start a new life in the federal witness protection program.
The release came after Hawkins testified against his former El Rukn cohort and co-defendant Nathson Fields, who was trying to obtain a certificate of innocence from the state and also had sued authorities for allegedly framing him for the 1984 murders of two gang rivals. At each of those hearings, Hawkins testified he expected to be locked up at least until 2026 when he would be 72.
After Hawkins' release last month, Fields' attorney, Candace Gorman, cried foul, accusing federal and state prosecutors of secretly arranging a deal with Hawkins in exchange for his unprecedented testimony against Fields in two civil matters.
In asking for a new trial on Fields' allegations of a frame-up, Gorman revealed that two prosecutors and two former Chicago cops -- three of whom played key roles in the El Rukn investigation years ago -- wrote letters of support for Hawkins in July in his bid to win release on his federal sentence from the U.S. Parole Commission.
The U.S. Attorney's Office, which represents the Parole Commission, shot back in a court filing late Friday, calling the allegations "baseless and reckless."
In a sworn affidavit, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Hogan, who led the gang prosecutions more than two decades ago, said Hawkins' release was the result of an independent decision by a parole examiner as well as a revised plea deal worked out last year between Hawkins and Cook County prosecutors.
Hogan said in the 12-page statement that the letters sent on Hawkins' behalf were a routine requirement of his 1989 federal plea deal. Also, Hogan said, the letters arrived after Hawkins' July 11 parole hearing and apparently were not a factor in the examiner's decision to grant Hawkins' release.
"I categorically deny (the) reckless and false allegations that I conspired with anyone ... to have Earl Hawkins commit perjury in this court by lying about the date he expected to be released from his federal and state prison sentences, or to obtain Hawkins' early release from those sentences in exchange for false testimony," Hogan said in the affidavit.
Hawkins' attorney, David Stetler, also has denied there was a conspiracy, telling the Tribune last month that the release came after the U.S. Bureau of Prisons recalculated Hawkins' "out" date based on a number of factors, including credit for time served in Cook County Jail and for good behavior during his three decades in the federal prison system.
Stetler said Gorman was "mistaken if she thinks there is anything more to this."
Hawkins had been serving out concurrent federal and state sentences of 60 years for racketeering conspiracy and 78 years for armed violence. His release from prison was not secured until Dec. 12, when his attorney asked Cook County Criminal Court Judge Vincent Gaughan to enforce an arcane plea deal struck with state prosecutors last year in advance of Fields' hearing for a certificate of innocence.
That agreement included a crucial clause guaranteeing Hawkins would be finished with his state time once his federal prison sentence was over, court records show.
jmeisner@tribpub.com
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