Former Emporia chiropractor Eric Hawkins had a jail sentence suspended during a hearing in Lyon County District Court on Friday.
Judge Merlin Wheeler announced a 90-day jail term before suspending it in favor of a 12-month probation term after Hawkins pleaded no contest to one battery count earlier this year. As part of the probation, Hawkins received a set of conditions. Hawkins cannot:
*Possess a firearm
*Have contact with the victim or her family
*Have any unsupervised contact with minors or the opposite sex unless they are either family members or approved by Lyon County District Court
Hawkins’ plea came in late August after a then-32-year-old woman accused him of inappropriately touching her during an appointment in 2015. Hawkins was originally charged with sexual battery before the plea.
Hawkins was also accused of rape in the case of a then-15-year-old girl dating back to 2015 and aggravated sexual battery in the case of a then-22-year-old woman from last year. A Lyon County jury acquitted him on all counts in August, just before the sexual battery trial in the case of the then-32-year-old woman was supposed to begin.
Hawkins has since moved to Texas, and the Lyon County probation terms may be transferred — although Assistant Lyon County Amy Aranda says that decision now rests with Texas authorities.
