Houston police stopped 24-year-old Cameron Thomas in January 2014 and found him in possession of a substance that tested positive for cocaine in a field test conducted at the time of arrest.
Thomas, who had prior arrests for burglary, theft, and evading police, was charged with possession of cocaine. On January 14, 2014, four days after his arrest, Thomas pled guilty to the drug charge and was sentenced to one year in prison.
In April 2014, the substance was tested by the Houston police crime laboratory, which determined the substance did not contain any illegal drugs. On April 24, Thomas was released on bond and the defense filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus requesting that the conviction be set aside. The prosecution supported the petition.
On June 24, 2014, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted the writ and vacated the conviction. On July 30, 2014, the prosecution dismissed the charge.
– Maurice Possley |