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Home Court filings USA v. Hopkins — U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia Supplemental Sentencing Memorandum as to Harrescia Hopkins filed by Harrescia Hopkins —…

Court filing

Supplemental Sentencing Memorandum as to Harrescia Hopkins filed by Harrescia Hopkins — USA v. Hopkins (Dkt. 24)

Record facts

CourtU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
Filed2023-04-11

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia · No. 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS · Doc. 24 · 2023-04-11 · Docket on CourtListener

Summary

A defendant's Supplemental Sentencing Memorandum filed April 11, 2023 as Document 24 in United States v. Harrescia Hopkins, Case No. 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS-1, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division. It asks the court, on the sentencing factors of 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), to impose a non-custodial sentence. The memorandum attaches as Exhibit A an additional character letter submitted on the defendant's behalf. It points to the United States Sentencing Commission's preliminary Amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines released April 5, 2023, attached as Exhibit B, including a proposed §4C1.1 adjustment giving a two-level reduction to zero-point offenders, which it says will likely take effect later in 2023. It states that the reduction would place the defendant at level 9 with a guideline range of 4-10 months. The filing is five pages.

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Full text

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA 
ATLANTA DIVISION 
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
Plaintiff, 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
 
vs. 
 
 
 
) 
CASE NO.: 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS-1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
HARRESCIA HOPKINS, 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
Defendant.  
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
DEFENDANT’S SUPPLEMENTAL SENTENCING MEMORANDUM 
 
 
COMES NOW, Defendant HARRESCIA HOPKINS, by and through her 
undersigned counsel, and respectfully asks this Court to consider the information contained 
in this Supplemental Memorandum when determining her sentence.  Ms. Hopkins submits 
that upon a review of the sentencing factors contained in 18 U.S.C. § 3553(a), this Court 
should sentence her to a non-custodial sentence.  In support of this sentence, Ms. Hopkins 
shows as follows: 
Ms. Hopkins attaches hereto as Exhibit A an additional character letter submitted on 
her behalf. 
Ms. Hopkins also wishes to highlight that the United States Sentencing Commission 
recently released its preliminary Amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines.  See 
“Amendments to the Sentencing Guidelines (Preliminary), released April 5, 2023, 
https://www.ussc.gov/guidelines/amendments/adopted-amendments-effective-november-1-
Case 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS     Document 24     Filed 04/11/23     Page 1 of 5

 
 
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2023.  These amendments will likely become effective on November 1st of this year.   
Notably, one proposed amendment includes a new guideline section which provides 
for an additional two-level guideline level reduction for “Zero-Point Offenders” who have 
no criminal history points and meet certain other criteria.  A copy of this proposed 
amendment is attached hereto as Exhibit B.  The proposed amendment also contains 
commentary which instructs that: 
“If the defendant received an adjustment under §4C1.1 (Adjustment for Certain 
Zero-Point Offenders) and the defendant’s applicable guideline range is in Zone 
A or B of the Sentencing Table, a sentence other than a sentence of 
imprisonment, in accordance with subsection (b) or (c)(3), is generally 
appropriate.” 
 
See Exhibit B, p. 5. 
 
 
Given that Ms. Hopkins has no criminal history points and otherwise qualifies for this 
reduction, she respectfully requests that this Court consider this amendment when 
determining a reasonable sentence in her case.  Were she to be sentenced a mere seven 
months from today, this proposed amendment would likely be in effect and apply to her case.  
An additional two-level reduction would place Ms. Hopkins at a level 9 with a guideline 
range of 4-10 months and, considering this new guideline commentary, a non-custodial 
sentence is therefore appropriate for Ms. Hopkins.   
WHEREFORE, for the foregoing reasons, as well as additional arguments that Ms. 
Hopkins will make at her sentencing hearing, Ms. Hopkins respectfully requests a non-
custodial sentence in her case.  
This, the 11th day of April, 2023. 
Case 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS     Document 24     Filed 04/11/23     Page 2 of 5

 
 
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Respectfully submitted, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
s/ Benjamin Black Alper  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BENJAMIN BLACK ALPER 
 
 
 
 
 
Georgia Bar No. 940406 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney for Harrescia Hopkins 
ALPER LEGAL, P.C. 
1205 Johnson Ferry Road 
Suite 136, #359 
Marietta, Georgia 30068 
404.736.3939 
ben@alperlegal.com 
Case 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS     Document 24     Filed 04/11/23     Page 3 of 5

 
 
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CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE 
This is to certify that to the best of my knowledge this document has been prepared 
with one of the font and point selections approved by the Court in LR 5.1B, pursuant to LR 
7. Specifically, the above-mentioned document has been prepared using Times New Roman 
font, 14 point. 
This, the 11th day of April, 2023. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
s/ Benjamin Black Alper  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BENJAMIN BLACK ALPER 
 
 
 
 
 
Georgia Bar No. 940406 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney for Harrescia Hopkins 
 
 
ALPER LEGAL, P.C. 
1205 Johnson Ferry Road 
Suite 136, #359 
Marietta, Georgia 30068 
404.736.3939 
ben@alperlegal.com 
Case 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS     Document 24     Filed 04/11/23     Page 4 of 5

 
 
-5- 
 
IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT 
FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF GEORGIA 
ATLANTA DIVISION 
 
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
Plaintiff, 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
 
vs. 
 
 
 
) 
CASE NO.: 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS-1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
HARRESCIA HOPKINS, 
 
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
 
Defendant.  
) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
) 
  
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE 
 
 
I HEREBY CERTIFY that on the above date, I electronically filed this document 
with the Clerk of Court using the CM/ECF system which will automatically send email 
notification of such filing to all attorneys of record. 
Respectfully submitted, 
 
 
 
 
 
 
s/ Benjamin Black Alper  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BENJAMIN BLACK ALPER 
 
 
 
 
 
Georgia Bar No. 940406 
 
 
 
 
 
Attorney for Harrescia Hopkins 
 
ALPER LEGAL, P.C. 
1205 Johnson Ferry Road 
Suite 136, #359 
Marietta, Georgia 30068 
404.736.3939 
ben@alperlegal.com 
 
Case 1:22-cr-00284-SEG-CMS     Document 24     Filed 04/11/23     Page 5 of 5

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