On January 3, 2008, officers from the Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Department arrested 33-year-old Derrick Johnson on a charge of possession of less than one gram of cocaine.
On January 30, 2008, Johnson pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to three years of deferred adjudication, a form of probation.
On April 6, 2009, the probation was revoked and Johnson was sentenced to nine months in Texas state jail. He was released on January 6, 2010.
In 2024, Johnson discovered that the laboratory test, performed on February 8, 2008, on the substance seized from at the time of his arrest was negative for the presence of any illegal substance.
Subsequently, the Harris County public defender’s office filed a state law petition for a writ of habeas corpus. In August 2024, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office supported the petition and a trial court judge recommended that the writ be granted.
On October 9, 2024, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted the writ and vacated Johnson’s conviction.
On May 21, 2025, the case was dismissed.
– Maurice Possley
Posting Date: 06-09-2025
Last Update Date: 06-09-2025
