Posted on Mar 8, 2017
One Texas county is behind a record three-year rise in exonerations
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God bless Texas!!
Harris County, which includes Houston, is 20 percent African-American, but 62 percent of its drug-crime guilty plea exonerees in recent years were African-American ─ about seven times the rate for other racial groups, according to the registry.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in an interview that of the 317 old lab tests used in guilty pleas in which no drugs were found, there have been 156 dismissals. That leaves dozens of people who investigators haven't been able to reach, or have not gone through with an appeal.
Harris County has since stopped offering plea deals in felony drug cases without lab tests unless the bargain doesn't involve any more time in jail. Ogg, who was elected in November, said she wants to tighten those restrictions further.
Harris County, which includes Houston, is 20 percent African-American, but 62 percent of its drug-crime guilty plea exonerees in recent years were African-American ─ about seven times the rate for other racial groups, according to the registry.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in an interview that of the 317 old lab tests used in guilty pleas in which no drugs were found, there have been 156 dismissals. That leaves dozens of people who investigators haven't been able to reach, or have not gone through with an appeal.
Harris County has since stopped offering plea deals in felony drug cases without lab tests unless the bargain doesn't involve any more time in jail. Ogg, who was elected in November, said she wants to tighten those restrictions further.
One Texas county is behind a record three-year rise in exonerations
Posted from nbcnews.comPosted in these groups: 
Crime
Crime
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 4
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I'm surprised I haven't seen more about this before today. I live in Harris County.
At least they're trying to fix it, I guess. I wonder what made those people plead guilty to a crime they didn't commit? I mean, they had to know they didn't have any drugs on their person. Coercion maybe?
At least they're trying to fix it, I guess. I wonder what made those people plead guilty to a crime they didn't commit? I mean, they had to know they didn't have any drugs on their person. Coercion maybe?
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PFC Jim Wheeler
SP5 Christine Conley - What legal expenses are you referring to? I thought court appointed attorneys were "free." (as in, the accused doesn't foot the bill)
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MSgt Michael Bischoff
makes you wonder how many years this type of stuff has been going on in that county. Kind of scary it still goes on.
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