Court Records Show Hawkinson Had Prior Juvenile Case in McPherson County
The earlier property damage case ended with probation months before the fatal shooting
MCPHERSON, Kan. — Court records show Daniel T. Hawkinson, now charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of Joshua Soden, had a prior juvenile case in McPherson County District Court. That case, filed Dec. 29, 2023, originally charged Hawkinson with attempted criminal damage to property valued between 1,000 and 25,000, a felony. It was assigned to the same judge overseeing the current case, District Magistrate Judge Amanda Faber.
On July 30, 2024, the charge was reduced to criminal damage to property valued under $1,000, a misdemeanor. Hawkinson pleaded no contest the same day. On Sept. 30, 2024, the court placed him on six months of supervised probation. His probation conditions included a ban on possessing firearms or dangerous weapons, a requirement to report any change of address or employment within 48 hours and no contact with people who have criminal records.
Records indicate Hawkinson followed the terms of his probation. He received early credit toward completing it each month from November 2024 through February 2025. His case supervision ended March 5, 2025, and his court balance was paid in full.
In the current manslaughter case, the court determined at Hawkinson's April 7 hearing that he cannot afford to hire his own attorney. Under the U.S. Constitution and Kansas law, the state must provide a lawyer at no cost when a defendant facing criminal charges cannot pay for one. The court appointed attorneys from Allen & Associates Law, LLC, based in Minneapolis and McPherson, and later approved public funding for a defense investigator and an expert to evaluate Hawkinson.
A hearing in the manslaughter case is set for 9 a.m. April 22. Hawkinson is free on a $200,000 bond with conditions that include no contact with witnesses or alleged victims. All defendants are presumed innocent unless, or until, found guilty in a court of law.
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