On June 30, 2015, police in Houston, Texas arrested 21-year-old Nathaniel Weathers after confiscating a substance from him that field-tested positive for codeine.
On July 24, 2015, Weathers pled guilty in Harris County Criminal District Court to a misdemeanor charge of possession of a controlled substance. He was sentenced to 15 days in the Harris County Jail.
On July 15, 2016-nearly a year later-the Houston Police crime laboratory tested the suspected codeine and found no controlled substances.
The lab informed the Harris County District Attorney's conviction review unit, which in turn informed Weathers' attorney. The prosecution joined the defense in a motion to vacate the conviction and on September 28, 2016, the charge was dismissed.
- Maurice Possley
Posting Date: 10-04-2016
Case Details:
State:
Texas
County:
Harris
Most Serious Crime:
Drug Possession or Sale
Reported Crime Date:
2015
Convicted:
2015
Exonerated:
2016
Sentence:
Term of Years
Race / Ethnicity:
Black
Sex:
Male
Age at the date of reported crime:
21
Contributing Factors:
False or Misleading Forensic Evidence
Did DNA evidence contribute to the exoneration?:
No