Sheldon Hawkes (played by Hill Harper) was born in New York's Harlem. His parents quickly realized that their son was very intelligent. At age 18 he successfully completed college and began studying medicine. At 24, he had completed his medical studies and was already working as a trained surgeon in a hospital. During his surgical career, the pressure was increasing due to frequent quarrels with his superiors.

When he lost two patients during surgery, he could no longer handle the pressure and resigned. Following his work at the hospital began a new career as a forensic scientist at the CSI: NY. While his work was still limited to a coroner in the first season of the series, he was also used in the field from the second season, so that he is now present at every crime scene. He is the equivalent of Dr. Alexx Woods from the show CSI: Miami.

Time and again, the likable Dr. Hawkes must avoid attacks. Thus, he found his phone number on the cell phone of a murdered young woman. They had learned to know each other a few days earlier and he had given her his phone number over a cup of coffee. However, he hides the fact that his phone number shows up under the contacts of the dead woman.

Later, Mac Taylor is informed and is naturally furious about Sheldon's approach. He fears that the attempt of a cover-up would cause the breakdown of the entire CSI: New York lab. Naturally Hawkes apologized to Taylor, but the damage was already caused.

In the course of the series, a convicted felon brings Dr. Hawkes to be considered a suspect in a case of robbery and murder. With the active support of Stella Bonasera, Mac Taylor and his colleagues, however, he manages to prove his innocence.

Even in his private life, Sheldon Hawkes has it sometimes very difficult. During his time as a surgeon at the hospital, he had a relationship with a nurse. However, before he could make her a proposal of marriage, she became the victim of a serial rapist. Although he supported his girlfriend in the difficult time in every way, their relationship ended. Years later, he is still constantly reminded of his former love.

His normal life but is jumbled by the fraud of an acquaintance. As Sheldon confided his life savings to him, he loses all his money. Hawkes has to sell his comfortable apartment and stay with friends, acquaintances or on the couch in the laboratory. To financially get back on his feet, he is forced to make a lot of overtime and extra shifts, which has a course on the quality of his work.

After spending the night one of his friends’ couches again, he is arrested in the middle of the night. He is asked by his colleagues why he was staying there, but he initially can’t tell them the truth. His friends claim he is lying, so he does eventually tells them about his problems. To get back on its feet, Mac asks him to move in with him. He had an empty room in his apartment, which Sheldon could use.

Sheldon Hawkes had a younger sister, who was murdered in her youth, whereby the killer was never caught. After a condemned man confesses to murdering Sheldon's sister, Sheldon goes to the grave of his sister. The audience sees him sitting there and telling his dead sister about his life.

Dr. Hawkes is a very quiet and pleasant man who is always willing to listen to his friends, if they come to him with their problems, or provide them with practical help. His closest friends are his colleagues Mac Taylor, Danny Messer, Lindsay Monroe, Stella Bonasera and Detective Don Flack.