On May 10, 2014, police in Houston, Texas arrested 47-year-old Mark West after they seized white powder from him that field-tested positive for cocaine.
On June 11, 2014, West pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to six months in Texas State Jail.
Soon after, the Harris County District Attorney’s Post Conviction Review Unit informed West’s defense attorney that the Houston Police crime laboratory had tested the powder and no controlled substance was detected.
On June 18, the prosecution joined a defense motion to vacate the conviction. The motion was granted, the charge was dismissed and West was released.
– Maurice Possley
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