On November 20, 2014, police in Baytown, Texas arrested 17-year-old G’Cobra Smith on a charge of possession of a controlled substance after they confiscated from him a bottle of what appeared to be codeine syrup.
On November 24, 2014, Smith pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to a reduced charge of attempted possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail.
On March 23, 2015, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences tested the liquid seized from Smith and no controlled substance was found.
In June 2015, the Harris County District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit and Smith’s defense attorney jointly filed a state law petition for a writ of habeas corpus to vacate the conviction. On March 3, 2016, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted the petition and vacated the conviction. On March 28, 2016, the charge was dismissed.
– Maurice Possley
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