Shon R. Hopwood

Shon R. Hopwood

shonhopwood@hotmail.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/shonhopwood

Shon R Hopwood’s unusual legal journey began not at law school, but federal prison, where he learned to write briefs for other prisoners. Two petitions for certiorari he prepared were later granted review by the United States Supreme Court, and the story of his legal success was the subject of articles in the New York Times, the Saturday Evening Post, and Above the Law. His work has been published in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties and Fordham Law Reviews. He is a consultant at Cockle Law Brief Printing Company, and a student and Gates Public Service Scholar at the University of Washington School of Law. In August of 2012, Crown/Random House will publish his memoir entitled "Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Cases and Finding Redemption." Through a decade of letters, Shon convinced his kind and beautiful wife, Ann Marie, to marry him. He has one cute but incredibly ornery son, Mark Raymond, and a precious and beautiful baby girl, Grace. Shon enjoys liberty, the writing of the Apostle Paul, Amy Hempel, and Raymond Carver, the music of Radiohead, and watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. Follow me at: @shonhopwood

Shon R. Hopwood

Shon R Hopwood’s unusual legal journey began not at law school, but federal prison, where he learned to write briefs for other prisoners. Two petitions for certiorari he prepared were later granted review by the United States Supreme Court, and the story of his legal success was the subject of articles in the New York Times, the Saturday Evening Post, and Above the Law. His work has been published in the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties and Fordham Law Reviews.

He is a consultant at Cockle Law Brief Printing Company, and a student and Gates Public Service Scholar at the University of Washington School of Law.

In August of 2012, Crown/Random House will publish his memoir entitled “Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Cases and Finding Redemption.”

Through a decade of letters, Shon convinced his kind and beautiful wife, Ann Marie, to marry him. He has one cute but incredibly ornery son, Mark Raymond, and a precious and beautiful baby girl, Grace. Shon enjoys liberty, the writing of the Apostle Paul, Amy Hempel, and Raymond Carver, the music of Radiohead, and watching the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team.

Follow me at: @shonhopwood

Recent Posts:

The Fight for Adequate Prevention and Treatment of Eating Disorders

We are fortunate to have my wife, Ann Marie, guest blogging today about an important issue: eating disorders. If you unaware of my wife’s story, here it is: She struggled with anorexia for twenty years. At several points, she dropped down to 60-some pounds and was on the verge of death. But she battled back. [...]

Dahlia in the House

I enjoyed a personal treat last week. On Thursday, I was fortunate enough to meet and listen to Dahlia Lithwick, who gave a lecture at Creighton law school. For those of you that follow the Supreme Court, you probably already know that Ms. Lithwick is the Senior Editor of Slate magazine and that she also [...]

What Does “Cocaine Base” Mean?

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear argument in DePierre v. United States, 09-1533, and decide a long-running dispute on what Congress meant by the term “cocaine base” for purposes of imposing mandatory minimum sentences under the federal narcotics statute. In 1985, Maryland basketball star Len Bias died of a cocaine drug overdose a few days [...]

Radiohead Releases Eighth Album

If you are a lover of music, pay attention. On February 18th, Radiohead released their eighth studio album entitled, The King of Limbs. Rather than a big CD release, the band released the album on their website in electronic format only. You can purchase it here. The CD will hit record stores on March 28th. [...]

The Omitted Parts: The Smart on Crime Report

Last week a number of distinguished organizations released a new report meant to urge Congress and the President into making substantive changes to the way this country deals with crime. In my last post, I pointed out the strengths of the report. In this post, I want to discuss a few items that were absent. Let’s [...]

The Good Parts: My Conclusions of the Smart on Crime Report

Last night, I read through most of the report entitled, Smart on Crime: Recommendations for the Administration and Congress. The goal of the report is to provide “analysis of the problems plaguing our state and federal criminal justice systems and a series of recommendations to address these failures.” For the most part, I think the [...]

New Smart on Crime Report

Today, the Smart on Crime Coalition released a report, entitled Smart on Crime: Recommendations for the Administration and Congress. The Coalition includes a number of great organizations, such as the ABA, ACLU, the Cato Institute, FAMM, Institute for Justice, Innocence Project, NACDL, NAACP, Prison Fellowship and the Sentencing Project.

The Health Care Challenge Lands at the Supreme Court

Bypassing the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, today, the Commonwealth of Virginia brought their Affordable Care Act challenge to the Supreme Court’s doorstep. The State calls on the Court to sidestep the normal appellate route and decide now whether Congress, in passing the new health care bill, transgressed its constitutional powers. The petition for writ of certiorari lays out what is at stake:

The Latest in Legal Media Coverage

The New York Times’ reporting has been legal-heavy in the past week. Emily Bazelon, normally of Slate, covered the subject of shaken-baby syndrome and how that crime is proved in court. Adam Liptak discusses the possibility that the Supreme Court could lose its reputation for impartiality if the Court rules in a partisan way on the Obama health care bill. [...]

A Non-Political View of the Commerce Clause and Health Care

Ever since Federal Judge Vinson struck down the Affordable Care Act, the legal blogosphere has been saturated with various arguments as to what the Commerce Clause should mean. I do not pretend to know whether or not the Affordable Care Act is good for the country, or, even if it is good for my family—a family that earns a very middle of the road income, that has a wife that is next to uncoverable, and has one child and another on the

Recent Comments:

Shon R. Hopwood
I meant to say in the response above this (I typed that response on my phone while on a bus). It doesn't matter if strip searching everyone would make a jail safer. Given the immensely important privacy and personal dignity interests at stake, the state should have to show that searches of people jailed for minor offenses would make the jail SUBSTANTIALLY more safe. Otherwise, its just not reasonable. Especially if they could use a metal detecting wand or some other method to discover weapons. I also just thought of two other things. First, the belief that somehow people would start purposely going to jail to smuggle in weapons just doesn't seem to fly. In every jail or prison I've ever been (and that is a fair share), weapons are plentiful so it wouldn't make much sense for prisoners to want someone to smuggle in a knife when they can get one anyway. What we are really talking about here are smuggling in drugs. Second, if the Supreme Court rules that some people don't have to be strip searched if there is not reasonable suspicion, and then suspicionless people start going to jail just to smuggle in drugs, the one positive result will be this: a more robust jail economy. Because if jail guards have to start competing against arrestees over the introduction of illicit drugs into the jail the prices for all drugs will go down!!! I kid, I kid.

Shon R. Hopwood
Barbara, Yes, I think Advanced Legal Research will be one of the most important classes I could ever take. The reasons are simple. It will make my research my thorough. And it will make me more efficient. So then I will have more time to write for the CockleBur. I can't imagine NOT taking that course. Shon

Shon R. Hopwood
Cyn, I don't know if David is publishing the book in hardcopy, but I will find out for you. Shon

Shon R. Hopwood
It surprises me that you read this article without recognizing the sarcasm. Of course, I am being flip. I made two arguments in the article. First, I think the Affordable Care Act is constitutional under current Supreme Court precedent. Many people that oppose the ACA would likely agree with me. Second, I think the Supreme Court's decisions on the Commerce Clause are WRONG, which is apparently the same thing you are contending. Other than you misunderstanding what I wrote, I completely agree with everything you said. The federal government is too big, controls too much our life, and has moved far beyond the limits placed upon it by the Constitution.

Shon R. Hopwood
Reid, I lived at Fort Myers (when I served in the Navy), which borders next to Arlington Cemetary. I know that the tombstones are not crosses (I have walked around the cemetary almost daily when I lived there). What I was referring to was the Argonne Cross and the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice that sits among the graves. Shon

Shon R. Hopwood
Jacob, This is one of the best speeches I have heard this year. I was particularly impressed with what you did not recommend, which is to have Libertarians shove their ideas down the throats of all who will listen. That is as wise as it is effective.