Last summer, our law firm described the story of an expungement request by triple-homicide suspect Tybream Demont Rogers. When we first brought you the story, Rogers's attorney had requested a postponement of her client's full expungement hearing.
The lawyer stated that the postponement would allow her time to address objections lodged by the Oklahoma County District Attorney's office and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). Six months after requesting a postponement, Rogers's Oklahoma City expungement lawyer has withdrawn the request to have her client's records sealed.
Paperwork for dismissal of the expungement request did not explain the reason for revoking the request. Tybream Rogers was implicated in the 1996 shooting deaths of three people outside an Oklahoma City nightclub. Rogers was not accused as the shooter, but was charged with homicide for his involvement. His case ended in mistrial in 1999 after allegations of sexual misconduct by an arresting officer.
An appellate court ruled that a retrial of Rogers on the homicide charges would be unconstitutional, subjecting him to double jeopardy. Rogers initially filed a request to have his arrest record sealed because the record was negatively impacting his ability to find adequate employment. However, the district attorney's office and the OSBI argued that Rogers's case was not eligible for expungement because the case did not end in a verdict or a dismissal of charges.
They further assert that, due to the seriousness of the charges, the public has a right to know about Rogers's arrest for the slayings. With the filing of paperwork to dismiss the request for expungement, the arguments are now moot. Record of Tybream Demont Rogers's arrest will remain public.
For those who have successfully completed a deferred sentence, who have been acquitted of a crime, or whose conviction has been overturned upon appeal, an expungement of the criminal record may be a way to restore normalcy and to put the past behind them. To see if you qualify for expungement of your criminal record or arrest record, contact an experienced Oklahoma expungement attorney for more information.
