Ex-robber turned Georgetown law professor convicted of domestic violence

Shon Hopwood, 50, was found guilty by a District of Columbia Superior Court jury of three counts of simple assault, five counts of contempt and two counts of obstructing justice, federal prosecutors in Washington said in a news release Friday.

“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,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said in a statement after the verdict was announced. “This D.C. jury wasn’t afraid to demand accountability no matter who the defendant is.”

On Sept. 21, 2023, Hopwood and his wife got into an argument in front of their children, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. When she went to grab her phone and purse from their bedroom, he allegedly assaulted her, repeatedly pushing and throwing her into the kitchen.

His wife had multiple injuries from the assault, including bruises.

Three days later, D.C. police found out about the assault during a welfare check. Hopwood ordered his wife to stay in the basement and coached their children to lie about where she was during the welfare check, according to the news statement. Then, Hopwood ran from the home when he heard on an officer’s radio that police officers had found his wife.

After investigating, D.C. police and Attorney’s Office discovered Hopwood had a history of chronic emotional and physical domestic abuse of his wife stretching back several years. The defendant was also charged with, and found guilty of, assaulting the victim in April 2023 in addition to the September 2023 incident.

Hopwood’s trial was supposed to start in early June, but his wife and their daughter failed to appear in court despite a subpoena. Authorities say they learned Hopwood had been in touch with his wife and pressured her not to testify in his trial, violating a stay-away order.

Hopwood was featured in the 2019 “60 Minutes” segment, “Meet a Convicted Felon Who Became a Georgetown Law Professor.”

The news show described him as “arguably the most successful jailhouse lawyer ever — having had one of his cases argued before the U.S. Supreme Court while serving a 12-year sentence for armed bank robbery.”

As of Saturday, Hopwood was still listed as an associate professor of law on the Georgetown Law School website.

In a statement to WTOP, a spokesperson from the law school said, “Domestic violence is horrific and antithetical to our values as an institution. Shon Hopwood remains on leave from his position as professor and we will review the matter and follow all applicable personnel processes.”

The spokesperson said that Georgetown Law respects the judicial system and the jury’s decision. “Beyond that, we cannot comment on personnel matters.”