On November 11, 2014, police in Ramsey County, Minnesota arrested 42-year-old Sammy Jackson on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. When police searched him, they found a bag of a white powdery substance that field-tested positive for heroin. On December 3, 2014, Jackson pled guilty in Ramsey County Circuit Court to possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
On March 15, 2015, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension crime laboratory tested the powder and found no controlled substance present. Lab officials notified the Ramsey County District Attorney’s Office, which then notified Jackson’s attorney.
On March 16, 2015, the prosecution and defense requested that Jackson’s conviction be vacated. The motion was granted, the prosecution dismissed the charge, and Jackson was released.
In May 2017, Jackson filed a claim for compensation from the state of Minnesota. In 2018, he was awarded $20,446.
– Maurice Possley
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