A 31-year-old murder charge against Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., better known as rapper Snoop Dogg, has finally been sealed.
Snoop reportedly filed to have his record sealed in January, according to legal documents obtained by TMZ. A month later, the deal was complete.
In 1993, Snoop Dogg and his bodyguard were accused of killing a 20-year-old alleged gang member who’d earlier been involved in a confrontation with one of the rapper’s friends in Los Angeles.
The incident occurred shortly before Snoop’s hit single “Murder Was the Charge” began climbing the charts.
Following a dramatic trial, the then-rising music star was acquitted on his voluntary manslaughter charge in February 1996.
He went on to become a top-selling recording artist and TV personality, with ad campaigns for Corona beer and T-Mobile, and even a cooking show co-hosted by Martha Stewart. He joined the NBC talent competition “The Voice” in April and made his first appearance in September.
The nonprofit group Unite the People helped Snoop Dogg seal the deal that put his legal ordeal under wraps, according to TMZ.
The New York State Unified Court System says sealing a court record hides it from the public. In most cases, a sealed record still exists, but all related fingerprints, booking photos and DNA samples are surrendered to the defendant.