On November 13, 2015, police in Houston, Texas arrested 17-year-old Jesus Casas after they confiscated suspected Alprazolam pills from him. Alprazolam is an anti-anxiety medication commonly known as Xanax and requires a prescription.




On November 16, 2015, Casas pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to nine months of community service.




On July 21, 2016, the Houston Police crime laboratory tested the pills and all were negative for the presence of a controlled substance.




The laboratory informed the Harris County District Attorney's Office conviction review unit of the negative lab report. The prosecution notified Casas's attorney and joined in a motion to vacate the conviction.




On September 28, 2016, the conviction was vacated and the charge was dismissed.




- Maurice Possley


Posting Date: 09-30-2016

Photography by Jesus Casas
Case Details:
State:
Texas
County:
Harris
Most Serious Crime:
Drug Possession or Sale
Reported Crime Date:
2015
Convicted:
2015
Exonerated:
2016
Sentence:
Probation
Race / Ethnicity:
Hispanic
Sex:
Male
Age at the date of reported crime:
17
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:
No