Guy N. Rogers, Jr., Suspended From Practice of Law

The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in favor of suspension of Guy N. Rogers, Jr., from practicing law in a decision filed yesterday, August 1. A Grand Jury indicted Rogers on two felony counts in 2022.

The first charge, conspiracy to commit a felony, involved Rogers asking someone to remove a section of wire kept as evidence in the Warren County Jail basement. The second charge, possession of contraband within a jail or correctional facility, involved Rogers attempting to smuggle two phone chargers to an inmate at the Warren County Jail.

Roger’s received a thirty-six month supervised probation sentence for the offenses.

The Mississippi Supreme Court decision to suspend Rogers from the bar stems from his “best-interest” plea, also known as an Alford plea.

An Alford plea allows a defendant to avoid the risk of conviction at trial by pleading guilty without admitting to actual guilt of the crime charged.

Citing case law, the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled that an Alford Plea is the same as a guilty plea in reference to Rule 6 of the Rules of Discipline for the Mississippi State Bar.

The Mississippi Bar did seek total disbarrment, however according the decision “…Rogers should not be summarily disbarred under Rule 6(d) as the Bar requests. This Court only summarily disbars an attorney upon receipt of a certified copy of a final conviction. Miss. R. Discipline 6(d). And at this point, Rogers has not been convicted.”