On September 21, 2015, police in Houston, Texas arrested 24-year-old Marvyn Castro after confiscating a single white tablet that police believed was alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax.
On September 22, 2015, Castro pled guilty in Harris County criminal district court to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 20 days in the Harris County Jail.
On November 17, 2016, the Houston police crime laboratory tested the pill and found no controlled substance present.
The Harris County District Attorney's conviction integrity unit notified Castro's defense attorney of the negative lab report. On May 24, 2017, Castro's attorney, with the support of the prosecution, filed a state law petition for a writ of habeas corpus asking that the conviction be vacated. On May 31, 2017, the conviction was vacated and the prosecution dismissed the charge.
- Maurice Possley
Posting Date: 06-06-2017
Case Details:
State:
Texas
County:
Harris
Most Serious Crime:
Drug Possession or Sale
Reported Crime Date:
2015
Convicted:
2015
Exonerated:
2017
Sentence:
Term of Years
Race / Ethnicity:
Hispanic
Sex:
Male
Age at the date of reported crime:
24
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:
No