Ricardo Rachell was convicted in 2003 of a child sexual assault he didn't commit. Although DNA testing was available at the time of his arrest and a sample was collected from Rachell, no testing was conducted before his trial. He served more than five years before DNA testing proved his innocence and led to his release on December 12, 2008.

 

He was officially cleared when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted his writ of habeas corpus on January 14, 2009. In February 2009, prosecutors filed charges against another man in the case, saying the DNA profile from the crime scene matched him.

 

As of 2012, Rachell had received $496,150 in state compensation.