On July 2, 2014, police in Houston, Texas arrested 55-year-old Michael Noel after they confiscated a small amount of suspected marijuana from him.
On July 7, 2014, Noel, who had several prior convictions for drug possession, pled guilty in Harris County Criminal Court to a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana. He was sentenced to 10 days in Texas State Jail.
Several weeks later, the Harris County District Attorney’s Post Conviction Review Unit was informed that the Houston Police Department crime laboratory had tested the material seized from Noel and it was negative for marijuana or any illegal substance.
On October 13, 2014, the prosecution joined Noel’s defense attorney in a motion to vacate the conviction on the basis of actual innocence. The motion was granted and the charge was dismissed.
– Maurice Possley
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