U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson's "Quest for Justice"
By Joan Tupponce CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Judge Henry E. Hudson has written a memoir of his prosee gression from deputy sheriff to U.S. District judge.

When U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson was randomly assigned the widely anticipated Michael Vick case in 2007, he underestimated the celebrity status that football brings to a star quarterback. Vick, a Virginia Tech legend and former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, was facing dogfighting charges. Last December, Hudson sentenced Vick to 23 months in prison.

"I was surprised at the amount of coverage it received," said Hudson, who makes his home in Chesterfield County. "At first the full impact didn't register. At the arraignment with about 600 people in the streets and the courtroom, it became a reality."

During his career, Hudson has seen his share of headlines and controversy. He's handled some of the most high-profile cases in the country, from Ruby Ridge to Operation Ill Wind, the country's largest defense procurement probe. Hudson chronicles many of these cases in his new book, "Quest for Justice: From Deputy Sheriff to Federal Judge…and the Lessons Learned Along the Way."

Born in Washington, D.C., Hudson began his career in public service at the age of 18 when he served as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic in Arlington. From there, he became a deputy sheriff for Arlington County, working much of his time as a courtroom deputy.

"That kindled my interest in being a lawyer," Hudson said. "I went to law school at night."

At one point, Hudson wanted to become a federal drug agent, but he realized his talents would be better used as a prosecutor. He owes that epiphany to federal prosecutor Justin Williams.

"He convinced me that being a prosecutor was a better use of my talents," Hudson said. "I saw that a prosecutor is the one that calls the shots and develops the strategy. Justin told me that the prosecutor was the quarterback of the team. I found that to be true in practice."

Hudson started his law career as an assistant commonwealth's attorney in Arlington before becoming assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Alexandria. Following that, he worked in private practice for a brief period before becoming commonwealth's attorney for Arlington County. He served in that role for about seven years.

"The progression of my life has been a calculated one," Hudson said.

For Hudson, opportunity has always converged with knowing the right people.

"Merit plays a role," he observed, "but you have to know the right people and be at the right place at the right time. I've had the good fortune of doing that."

Opportunity did come knocking when then President Ronald Reagan appointed Hudson chairman of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography (sometimes referred to as the Meese Report) in 1985.

"Two of my close friends, former U.S. Senator Paul Trible and Congressman Frank Wolf, were instrumental in getting me to take that job," Hudson said. "People told me it was an act of political suicide, but when the president asks you, you say, 'yes sir.'"

A number of the recommendations made by the commission were adopted by congressional committees in the form of legislation controlling child pornography.

"We took an awful lot of flack from newspapers," Hudson recalled. "It was a swift blow of the pen. President Reagan said to me, 'Henry, 95 percent of the people in America agree with this report. Unfortunately the other 5 percent are newspaper editors.'"

Hudson next became U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, a job he held for five years before becoming director of the U.S. Marshall Service and later circuit court judge in Fairfax. He was confirmed as U.S. district judge in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2002.

Chesterfield Commonwealth's Attorney Billy Davenport has known Hudson for more than 20 years. He describes the judge as "extremely bright."

"He's very personal but very firm and forthright," Davenport said. "If you have a serious matter, you want him to be part of the decision-making process."

Davenport was intrigued by Hudson's new book.

"It reads like a novel," he said. "Henry is a great addition to our county." Hudson and his wife, Tara, moved to Chesterfield in 2002.

"Quest for Justice" isn't Hudson's first writing experience. About 10 years ago he wrote a novel that he admits was an "absolute disaster."

"I learned so much, and I vowed that I would go back, do it again and get it right," he said. "I wrote this book like a novel. I tried to build suspense in each and every chapter."

Early reviews from Greta Van Susteren of Fox News Channel's "On the Record" and Fox News host Ollie North are positive. Susteren proclaims the book "a thrilling tale of crime-fighting adventure."

Former Chesterfield Sheriff Clarence Williams believes "Quest for Justice" is a book that every law enforcement officer should read.

"When he goes into detail about how the investigation went at Ruby Ridge, it's what all law enforcement goes through when they lose individuals in their departments," Williams said. "It's heart-wrenching."

Williams sees Hudson as "down to earth" even though his career occasionally puts him in the limelight.

"Henry has had success after success," Williams said. "He's one of those people who is a true American and loves his country. I admire him."

In writing his book, Hudson wanted readers to get a realistic sense of the life of a prosecutor.

"You get to see how difficult the decisions are that you have to make, the political pressures and how challenging the strategy is," Hudson said.

The financial rewards that go along with the job are less than some occupations, but that was never an issue for Hudson.

"I may not have had the monetary rewards, but those that do will never have the war stories and the self-fulfillment that I have," he said. "That's what my book is all about."

"Quest for Justice" is available from www.BarnesandNoble.com or direct from the publisher at www.loftpress.com.