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Jose Escobar

Other 2015 Houston Exonerations
On August 4, 2015, police in Houston, Texas arrested 20-year-old Jose Escobar after confiscating two white tablets from him that they believed were Alprazolam, commonly known as Xanax, an anti-anxiety medication that is dispensed by prescription only.

On August 25, 2015, Escobar pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 21 days in the Harris County Jail. He had already spent 21 days in custody since the time of his arrest, so he was released the same day he pled.

On August 31, 2015, the Houston Police crime laboratory tested the two tablets and identified them as Etizolam—a non-prescription drug used to treat insomnia.

The lab notified the Harris County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit which informed Escobar’s defense attorney and then joined in a defense motion to vacate the conviction.

On September 22, 2015, the conviction was vacated and the prosecution dismissed the charge.
 
– Maurice Possley

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Posting Date: 10/28/2015
State:Texas
County:Harris
Most Serious Crime:Drug Possession or Sale
Additional Convictions:
Reported Crime Date:2015
Convicted:2015
Exonerated:2015
Sentence:21 days
Race/Ethnicity:Hispanic
Sex:Male
Age at the date of reported crime:20
Contributing Factors:
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:No