A routine sentencing hearing at the Hamilton County Courthouse on Tuesday, Feb. 24, turned into a full-on brawl after 20-year-old Latrelle Rogers was handed a 12 to 17.5 year prison sentence for involuntary manslaughter in the 2024 death of 17-year-old Edwin Arrington. What started as heated words between grieving families quickly tipped into shoving, then punches, then a melee that spilled into the hallway and out of the courthouse. Deputies and court officers rushed in to break it up, and the presiding judge shut down his morning docket while order was slowly restored.
FOX19, which was inside the courtroom, reported that the disturbance erupted moments after Judge Ralph Winkler announced the sentence. A relative of Rogers called out, “Love you,” which drew an expletive from members of Arrington’s family, according to the station. From there, the confrontation surged into the hallway and then outside as deputies and court officers tried to pull people apart and calm the scene. “The disturbance was so loud it disturbed proceedings in my courtroom,” Hamilton County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher McDowell told the outlet, adding that he watched multiple people get arrested after refusing to follow deputies’ orders. The clash forced him to reschedule the rest of his morning calendar and temporarily close nearby roads, FOX19 reported.
What happened on New Year’s Day
The case traces back to the early hours of Jan. 1, 2024, in the University Heights neighborhood, when 17-year-old Edwin Arrington was found shot multiple times behind a house in the 600 block of Straight Street. Emergency crews were called after a mother discovered her son, but Arrington was pronounced dead at the scene. Those details were reported at the time by WLWT.
Arrest and original charges
Months later, on May 22, 2024, investigators arrested Latrelle Rogers, who was 19 at the time, authorities said. A criminal complaint accused him of using a semi-automatic pistol in the shooting. Eight days after the arrest, former Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers secured an indictment charging Rogers with two counts of murder and two counts of felonious assault, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Plea deal and sentence
Rogers eventually took a plea deal, admitting guilt to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter instead of facing trial on the original murder and felonious assault counts. Judge Ralph Winkler sentenced him to a prison term of 12 to 17.5 years. Under the terms outlined in court, Rogers must serve at least 12 years before he can be considered for release, as reported by FOX19.
Legal notes
The guilty plea replaces the earlier murder and felonious assault charges from the indictment and effectively closes the criminal case at the common pleas level, according to court reporting. Multiple people were arrested following the courtroom brawl, and court officials have said those cases are being handled separately from Rogers’ sentencing, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer…