Former student indicted for assault charges

Former UNA student Karen Ashle Hawkins, 19, has been indicted for third-degree assault and criminal solicitation relating to the attack of freshman Tyre Pickett in the parking deck in October.

Pickett was accused of raping a student in Rivers Hall Oct. 24. All charges were dropped in December against him after a “no bill” was passed in his case, meaning the grand jury determined there was not enough evidence to warrant his prosecution.

The night of the alleged rape of her roommate, Hawkins reportedly sent out a tweet offering a $250 reward to anyone who would beat Pickett, said Lauderdale County District Attorney Chris Connolly.

“Hawkins was located in Huntsville, and she turned herself in last Friday,” Connolly said.

Shaolin Beasley and JaQuerrious Martin were served warrants for their arrest by UNA police last week in relation to this attack, and they are being charged with third degree assault.

Connolly said he believes her arraignment will be in February.

“If she pleads not guilty, she will be given a jury trial,” Connolly said. The third-degree assault and criminal solicitation charges are misdemeanors, so she could serve up to a year in jail.”

Since she was born in 1997, she can make a plea to be treated as a youthful offender, which would allow her case to be sealed. If she is granted youthful offender status, then she would not acquire a criminal record, and she could have a reduction in penalties.

In the state of Alabama, a defendant must be under 21 to be eligible for youthful offender status.