what former prisoner featured on 60 minutes became a lawyer

Full Answer

What happened to former prisoners who became lawyers?

Another former prisoner, Christopher Poulos, also persevered to become an attorney. Poulos, who had a substance abuse problem and experienced homelessness, served almost three years in prison and a reentry facility on federal drug and firearm charges.

What was it like to be a lawyer in federal prison?

Lawyers had made really bad mistakes, and it really cost their clients sometimes, you know, a decade or two in federal prison. Inside the walls at Pekin he won the respect of fellow inmates, and discovered that he had an aptitude for something: the law.

Who is the producer of 60 minutes?

Produced by Maria Gavrilovic. Michael Kaplan, associate producer. Few journalists have achieved the impact and recognition that Steve Kroft's 60 Minutes work has generated for over two decades. Kroft delivered his first report for 60 Minutes in 1989.

How long has Steve Kroft been on 60 minutes?

Few journalists have achieved the impact and recognition that Steve Kroft's 60 Minutes work has generated for over two decades. Kroft delivered his first report for 60 Minutes in 1989. Thanks for reading CBS NEWS. for more features.

Where is Shon Hopwood now?

Shon Hopwood is an Associate Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he is an expert on federal courts, criminal procedure (including federal sentencing), and prisoners' rights.

How many banks did Shon Hopwood Rob?

four moreHis friend suggested sending the money back, with a note. Instead, Hopwood went on to rob four more banks. At his sentencing, 30 family members stood behind him, most of them crying. He was 23 years old.

Who is Cain Dyer?

Cain Vincent Dyer robbed over 100 banks between 1999 and 2001. Dyer was never caught by law enforcement but handed himself in. Dyer now works as a motivational speaker, helping newly released prisoners reintegrate into society.

Shon Hopwood - Associate Professor Of Law - LinkedIn

Shon Hopwood - Wikipedia

Who was the first person to study the appeals process in prison?

Jarrett Adams. While Adams had never been to college, he began studying the appeals process in the prison library. He began to fully appreciate the flaws in his trial, and to notice patterns in other people's cases.

What did the court find about Adams' lawyer?

The court found Adams' lawyer's "failure to investigate" and refusal to present an available defense had prejudiced the trial – the argument Adams advocated. The court also ruled that given the "the relatively thin evidence” against Adams, in a fair trial, it was reasonably probable that “the outcome of Adams’ trial would be different.”

What was Jarrett Adams arrested for?

At the age of 17, he was arrested for a crime he insists he didn’t commit.

What did Findley think of his victory?

Findley says the victory made him think back to when he doubted whether a long-shot appeal was worth the effort. "I learned that’s not an excuse we should rely on very often," he says. "You never know," he adds, "when you’re going be successful in achieving justice."

What did Pops do when he heard Adams talking on the phone?

When the man, who went by "Pops," heard Adams talking on the phone about his innocence, he took an interest and asked for his case file. One day, when Adams returned to the cell, Pops had all his records laid out in the room.

How many appeals to reverse a criminal trial fail?

The vast majority of such appeals are rejected – a count in one federal circuit found 96% of the appeals to reverse a criminal trial fail.

Did the Illinois state court throw out a murder conviction?

The project is starting to get results. In August, an Illinois state court threw out a 1990 murder conviction based on a confession obtained through torture. Yellen estimates about 30 other people in the review have torture claims that could reopen their cases.

What was the name of the lawyer who served time in prison for bank robbery?

Hopwood became well-known as a jailhouse lawyer who served time in prison for bank robbery. While in prison, he started spending time in the law library, and became an accomplished United States Supreme Court practitioner by the time he left in 2009.

How long was Fellers sentence reduced?

Fellers's sentence was ultimately reduced by four years. In 2005, the Supreme Court granted a second cert petition prepared by Hopwood, vacating a lower court decision and sending the case back for a fresh look.

When was Law Man written?

Hopwood's memoir, Law Man: My Story of Robbing Banks, Winning Supreme Court Cases, and Finding Redemption, co-written with Dennis Burke, was published in August 2012. In the memoir, Hopwood details both his life as a jailhouse lawyer and his romance with his wife, Ann Marie Hopwood, who Hopwood wrote during eight years of his imprisonment. Law Man received critical acclaim from a number of book reviewers.

Who is Shon Hopwood?

Petition for writ of certiorari in Fellers v. United States. Shon Robert Hopwood (born June 11, 1975) is an American appellate lawyer and professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. Hopwood became well-known as a jailhouse lawyer who served time in prison for bank robbery.

When did the Washington State Bar Association approve the Hopwood case?

On September 4, 2014, the Supreme Court of Washington approved the recommendation made by the Character and Fitness Committee of the Washington State Bar Association, permitting Hopwood to take the Washington bar examination, and to become an attorney if he passed.

When was Hopwood released from prison?

Hopwood was released from the custody of the Bureau of Prisons on April 9, 2009.

What was the Fellers v. United States case?

United States. The court, in a 9-0 decision, found that police had acted unconstitutionally in questioning Fellers, who had been convicted of a drug conspiracy. Fellers's sentence was ultimately reduced by four years.

Who was the lawyer who took the case of Hopwood?

A crucial contact was Seth Waxman, a prominent lawyer and former U.S. solicitor general who took the case Hopwood prepared for a fellow prisoner at the Federal Correctional Institution in Pekin, Illinois.

Who granted Shon Hopwood's cases?

SCOTUS granted two of Shon Hopwood's cases while he was in prison. Steve Kroft profiles a lawyer who rose from federal inmate to Georgetown law professor

What does Hopwood say about Kroft?

Hopwood tells his unlikely story and acknowledges the odds were long, but he had help. "It was people that helped, that went out of their way to provide grace to me ," he tells Kroft. "That made the difference.". Kroft speaks to some of those who championed him.

Who was Hopwood's mentor?

They won the case in a unanimous decision and Waxman was impressed enough to become Hopwood's mentor for the rest of his sentence. He recommended him for his first post-prison job in the law industry. It started Hopwood on the journey that included finishing his law degree, getting admitted into the law bar and on to his current prestigious post as Georgetown law professor.

What did Shon Hopwood do?

When Shon Hopwood discovered he had a brilliant law mind, he was serving a long prison sentence for armed bank robbery. But Hopwood was an exception among the countless "jailhouse lawyers" who study the law after breaking it. He was so good, that a case he prepared was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, an extremely rare feat for any lawyer, never mind one still behind bars. Hopwood has won admirers who helped him earn his degree and enter the law profession. Just recently, he was named to a coveted faculty position as an associate professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. Steve Kroft profiles Hopwood for the next edition of 60 Minutes, Sunday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT.

Why did Haynes go to prison?

Before she graduated from the Nashville School of Law in 2012 and began working as a criminal defense attorney, Haynes served almost five years in federal prison for aiding and abetting a conspiracy to distribute marijuana, by accepting packages mailed by her boyfriend.

What did Desmond Meade do after he was released from prison?

Desmond Meade turned his life around too, after serving 15 years for drug and firearm-related offenses, then being homeless following his release from prison. He enrolled in college and attended Florida International University’s School of Law. Meade said he now has a newfound purpose in life: Helping others.

What was the first case that Hopwood was in?

The first case was his initial submission to the high court, something that rarely happens. After Hopwood was released from prison he gained admission to the University of Washington’s School of Law on a full scholarship, funded by the Gates Public Service Law Program.

Why did Betts take legal classes?

Betts also found a reason to learn the law. When he realized he had not been properly credited for time served in the county jail , he didn’t know how to fix the error. So he enrolled in legal classes to get answers, though he wasn’t thinking about the practice of law at the time.

Where did Betts go to law school?

Betts started at a community college, received a Soros Justice Fellowship, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, received a Master of Fine Arts from Warren Wilson College and then landed at Yale Law School , one of the country’s top-rated universities.

Who was James Hamm?

James Hamm. Former Arizona state prisoner James J. Hamm, J.D. also ran into problems with being admitted to the bar after obtaining his law degree. Hamm served 17½ years in prison on a 25-to-life sentence for murder before his sentence was commuted in 1989. He was paroled three years later.

Who is Neal Wiesner?

Another former New York prisoner, Neal Wiesner, who served time for attempted murder and drug offenses, attended CUNY Law School and passed the bar exam in 1994, but was not admitted to practice in New York state courts until 2012, based on character and fitness grounds.

Who was the other prisoner in the Fellers v. United States case?

Since Mr. Hopwood was not a lawyer, the only name on the brief was that of the other prisoner, John Fellers. "The court received 7,209 petitions that year from prisoners and others too poor to pay the filing fee, and it agreed to hear just eight of them. One was Fellers v. United States .".

What did Hopwood change during his time in prison?

He went from being a drug addict and someone who "really had no purpose in life" to a jailhouse lawyer with an aptitude for searching case law and finding decisions that would help his fellow inmates.

How much money did Hopwood steal?

Of his life before he went to prison, Hopwood admits he was "a very stupid, foolish and reckless kid.". He and some accomplices stole about $200,000 during a series of bank robberies in Nebraska. He holds no grudge against Kopf for the 13-year sentence he was given.

Is 5 years enough for most crimes?

Kopf agrees, saying that "5 years is plenty for most crimes, in my opinion."