A prosecutor in the Hillsborough County Attorney’s office has had all criminal charges against him dropped, after he was arrested twice over the holiday weekend following an alleged domestic violence incident.
Thomas Rogers worked in the county attorney’s Special Victims Unit, which prosecutes domestic violence cases. He was arrested twice in the early morning hours of Friday, July 4 and charged with simple assault and stalking. By Monday morning, all charges against him were dropped, and he has since resigned.
The speed of the decision and Rogers’ role prosecuting domestic violence cases has led the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to call for a review of the case.
“We are calling on all agencies who are responsible for public safety to come together and to review their processes for dropping domestic violence charges at every stage of the process,” said Lyn Schollett, the coalition’s executive director.
Schollett said her organization also wants a review of all cases Rogers handled as a prosecutor with the Special Victims Unit.
According to court documents, Manchester police responded to a call regarding a dispute around midnight on July 4. Rogers and his neighbors were in a dispute over fireworks. During the interaction, Rogers allegedly pushed his fiancée to the ground. He was released by authorities around 3 a.m on July 4 after appearing before a bail commissioner.
Hours later, Rogers was arrested a second time for violating his bail conditions by returning to the residence he shared with his fiancee. She was not home at the time but had called 911, according to the police.
On Monday, prosecutors and Rogers’ attorney reached a deal in which all charges against him were dropped. The agreement stipulates that Rogers must remain on good behavior for one year and submit to a drug and alcohol evaluation.
The court document formally dropping the charges was signed by Ryan White, an officer in the Manchester Police Department’s Sexual Offender Compliance unit.
Heather Hamel, a Manchester Police Department spokesperson, said in an email to NHPR that while Rogers did work with Manchester Police officers in his work as a prosecutor, he did not have a “direct relationship” with officers involved in handling his case, nor was there “any conflict that would have influenced the handling of the matter.”
Hamel also wrote that the victim was “engaged” in the decision to drop the charges.
“Her input was carefully considered,” Hamel wrote.
But in Schollet’s view, the process moved “incredibly fast.” Schollett said she was curious if the victim had access to adequate support to deal with a criminal justice system that can feel confusing and intimidating.
“Advocates need time to connect with the victim, to talk to them about their options…We are very concerned that this happened in such a fast manner,” she said.
Schollet said she is also concerned by the fact that Rogers violated the terms of his bail just a few hours after his initial arrest.
“When an offender so quickly violates a protective order, that sends a strong message that they believe they are above the law,” she said. “It is also an indicator of increased and escalating violence, and in cases of escalating violence, those can often have even more tragic results by increasing the lethality,” she said.
Hammel said the police department would welcome a review of the case.
“The case was handled in line with established policy and prior practice, and we are confident that an independent review would find no inappropriate influence in how decisions were made,” she said.
The Hillsborough County Attorney’s office told NHPR they accepted Rogers' resignation effective July 8.
“We have recently been notified that the charges against Mr. Rogers have been dropped. It is important to clarify that our office has not been involved in the investigation, prosecution or the decision to dismiss these charges,” a press release stated. “To ensure continuity, Mr. Rogers’ cases are being reassigned. We remain resolute in our commitment to pursuing justice for victims of domestic violence and holding offenders accountable.”
