Shon Hopwood, once a bank robber who turned his life around to become a law professor at Georgetown University, has been convicted of domestic violence, according to reports published yesterday. FOX 5 DC described that a Superior Court jury found Hopwood guilty on 10 of 11 counts including assault, contempt, and obstruction of justice. Hopwood, who served more than a decade in federal prison for bank robberies, had his previous redemption narrative featured on 60 Minutes.
Hopwood's new conviction stems from a series of events that began in April 2023, when he was accused of assaulting his wife, Ann Marie. Authorities claim Hopwood continued to abuse her and, during an incident in September 2023, allegedly forced her to stay in the basement for three days, coaching their children to lie about her whereabouts. NBC Washington reported that the police conducted a welfare check, discovering the extent of the domestic abuse.
Following the jury's decision, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro emphasized the need for accountability, stating, "A D.C. jury is demanding accountability from the batterer who not only beat his wife but was on the faculty of Georgetown Law teaching criminal law," in a press release obtained by Reuters. Pirro also noted at a news conference that Hopwood was parading as a prison reform activist while committing violence against his wife.
Georgetown University Law Center has placed Hopwood on leave and stated, "Domestic violence is horrific and antithetical to our values as an institution," a spokesperson told Reuters. Hopwood, who attended the University of Washington after his release from prison and mentored Tiffany Trump at Georgetown, faces a minimum of five and a half years behind bars.
The trial, which was originally set for June 2024, was delayed after Hopwood reportedly pressured his wife and children to leave the jurisdiction and not show up in court. He had met a man in federal prison, who the family stayed with, contributing to the obstructing justice and contempt charges. Hopwood's sentencing is scheduled for September 18, before D.C. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur, as mentioned in the Reuters report.
