On July 25, 2012, 25-year-old Rosa Sade Batts was arrested by Houston police and charged with possession of narcotics.
Two days later, Batts appeared in court and was offered a deal by prosecutors in which she would receive two years in prison in exchange for a plea of guilty. Because Batts had numerous previous narcotics convictions, she could have faced a maximum of 25 years to life. She accepted the prosecution offer, pled guilty and was sentenced to two years in prison.
On May 30, 2013, more than 10 months after it received the sample, the Houston police crime laboratory reported that forensic testing on the substance seized from Batts was negative for the presence of narcotics. The Harris County District Attorney's office notified Batts' attorney, Cynthia Cline, who then filed a state application for a writ of habeas corpus.
On July 16, 2013, the application was granted by a Harris County District judge and Batts was released.
On September 11, 2013, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals upheld the issuing of the writ and the case was dismissed.
- Maurice Possley
Posting Date: 09-14-2013
Case Details:
State:
Texas
County:
Harris
Most Serious Crime:
Drug Possession or Sale
Reported Crime Date:
2012
Convicted:
2012
Exonerated:
2013
Sentence:
Term of Years
Race / Ethnicity:
Black
Sex:
Female
Age at the date of reported crime:
25
Contributing Factors:
False or Misleading Forensic Evidence
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:
No