On Thursday, August 7, 2025, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals suspended attorney Shon R. Hopwood from practicing law on an interim basis following his conviction of serious crimes in the D.C. Superior Court.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Shon R. Hopwood,” with case number 25-BD-050.
Hopwood, a 50-year-old Georgetown Law professor, was found guilty on July 18, 2025, of multiple charges related to domestic violence and subsequent efforts to interfere with the judicial process.
A Superior Court jury convicted Hopwood of three counts of simple assault, five counts of contempt, and two counts of obstruction of justice. The charges stemmed from incidents involving his wife, which took place in 2023. Superior Court Judge Errol Arthur set sentencing for September 18, 2025.
The case originated from an altercation on September 21, 2023, when Hopwood, a convicted felon, engaged in a verbal dispute with his wife in the presence of their children. The argument escalated, and Hopwood physically assaulted her when she attempted to retrieve her phone and purse from their bedroom. He repeatedly pushed her and threw her into the kitchen, causing multiple bruises.
The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) became aware of the incident during a welfare check on September 24, 2023, at the couple’s home. Authorities discovered that Hopwood had confined his wife to the basement and instructed their children to lie about her whereabouts. When law enforcement located her, Hopwood fled the residence upon hearing police radio communications.
Further investigation by the MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office revealed a pattern of chronic emotional and physical abuse by Hopwood against his wife, spanning several years. Hopwood was also charged with, and found guilty of, assaulting the victim in April 2023, in addition to the September 2023 incident
Hopwood’s legal troubles extended beyond the assaults. After an initial trial date was set for June 3, 2024, both the victim and her daughter failed to appear despite being subpoenaed. Authorities later uncovered that Hopwood had violated a court-issued stay-away order by contacting his wife for months, pressuring her to avoid cooperating with prosecutors. He orchestrated a plan to keep his wife and children out of the jurisdiction during the trial to seek dismissal of the case. The victim complied with his instructions, resulting in her absence from the trial. This led to additional charges of contempt and obstruction of justice against Hopwood.
Hopwood gained recognition as a jailhouse lawyer after serving time for bank robbery. During his incarceration, he dedicated time to the law library and emerged as an accomplished practitioner in the United States Supreme Court upon his release in 2009.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
