Derek Hawkins

Legal and Justice Reporter

Derek covers justice and law enforcement for The Washington Sun.

He previously spent a decade with The Washington Post, where most recently he reported on the U.S. Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and U.S. Marshals Service. In other roles at The Post, he covered courts, voting issues, and the coronavirus pandemic. He was part of a team that won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for its coverage of fatal shootings by police.

You can reach Derek on Signal at dhawk.01.

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Supreme Court Keeps Freeze on Limits for Transgender Inmate Care

October 21, 2026 12:22 p.m.
Judge Dismisses John Brennan’s Lawsuit Over Criminal Probes

October 15, 2026 04:15 p.m.
DOJ Is Recruiting Prosecutors to Monitor Polling Places

October 06, 2026 02:43 p.m.
DOJ Wants Federal Judges Sidelined for Criticisms of ICE Crackdown

September 30, 2026 04:08 p.m.
Some Judges Sound Open to Restarting Contempt Probe in El Salvador Deportation Case

September 29, 2026 04:32 p.m.
DOJ Spent $1.1 Million on Lindsey Halligan’s Security Detail

September 28, 2026 06:19 p.m.
Trump Asks the Supreme Court to Back Limits on Transgender Inmate Care

September 28, 2026 02:11 p.m.
Flock Changes Search Rules Ahead of Senate Hearing on Privacy Concerns

September 23, 2026 06:05 p.m.
Secret Service Outsources Its Polygraph Screenings for the First Time

September 22, 2026 05:03 a.m.
DOJ Can’t Convince a Judge That ‘Anti-Weaponization’ Payments Are Dead

September 18, 2026 02:31 p.m.
Blanche Departs From DOJ Norms With a Speech at Republican Convention

September 09, 2026 07:15 p.m.
Challenge to Abortion Drug Heads Back to Court Ahead of Midterm Elections

September 08, 2026 06:30 p.m.