Exoneration of the Day - Woman Incorrectly Charged with Controlled Substance

A woman was arrested in Houston, TX for a substance that was field tested for cocaine. The woman pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to possession of a controlled substance. After violating terms of the status, she was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

The Houston Police crime laboratory later tested the substance seized from the woman and found no illegal drugs were detected. The report was forwarded to the DA’s office but misplaced until years later. Eventually the Harris County Attorney’s conviction integrity unit forwarded the lab report to the woman’s defense attorney.

The trial judge recommended her defense attorney’s writ of habeas corpus be granted and vacated the conviction. The following month the prosecution dismissed the charge.

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4944