On January 18, 2013, police in Houston, Texas arrested 17-year-old Victoria Gauthier after they confiscated a substance that field-tested positive for LSD.
On January 22, 2013, Gauthier pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to possession of a controlled substance. She was sentenced to probation for two years.
In September 2014, the Harris County District Attorney's Conviction Review Unit was notified by the Houston Police crime laboratory that tests on the seized substance were negative for the presence of any illegal drug.
The prosecution notified Gauthier's defense attorney and joined in a motion to vacate Gauthier's conviction. On January 15, 2015, the motion was granted and the prosecution dismissed the charge.
- Maurice Possley
Posting Date: 10-26-2015
Case Details:
State:
Texas
County:
Harris
Most Serious Crime:
Drug Possession or Sale
Reported Crime Date:
2013
Convicted:
2013
Exonerated:
2015
Sentence:
Probation
Race / Ethnicity:
White
Sex:
Female
Age at the date of reported crime:
17
Contributing Factors:
False or Misleading Forensic Evidence
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:
No