On September 10, 2006, 20-year-old Corey Anthony Love was arrested by police in Houston, Texas and charged with possession of more than a gram of cocaine.
On September 12, Love came to court and was offered a deal to plead guilty to misdemeanor possession of cocaine and receive a jail sentence of 210 days. Love pled guilty and served his sentence and was released in June 2007.
The substance seized from Love was not tested by the Houston Police crime laboratory until December 2012—more than six years after Love was arrested. The tests showed the substance was not cocaine.
When the report was forwarded to the Harris County District Attorney’s Conviction Review Unit, the prosecution went to court and asked that an attorney be appointed for Love. The prosecution then supported a petition for a writ of habeas corpus, which was granted by the trial court.
On June 5, 2013, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted the writ and ordered Love’s conviction vacated. The charge was dismissed on January 6, 2015.
– Maurice Possley
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