Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

Go to Database Search Page

Go to  Database Index Page

Raul Cantu

 

Charge:

Drug Related (Possession or sale)

Sentence:

6 months

Years Imprisoned:

0.167

Year Crime:

2005

Year Convicted:

2005

Year Cleared:

2005

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Texas

County or Region of Crime:

Harris

City of Crime:

Houston

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Raul Cantu was wrongly convicted in February 2005 in Houston, Texas of possessing less than a gram of cocaine. Although Cantu denied possessing cocaine, he pled guilty based on the prosecution's assertion the substance he was found with was cocaine and the threat of a long prison sentence if he was convicted after a trial. Cantu was sentenced to 6 months in prison. It was discovered in April 2005 that the substance wasn't cocaine when it was tested by the Houston Police Dept. Crime Laboratory. Cantu filed a writ of habeas corpus and he was released when it was granted on April 22, 2005. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the writ on July 27, 2005 and the charges were dismissed on August 23, 2005."

Conviction Caused By:

Prosecuton's erroneous assertion that the substance found on Raul Cantu was cocaine.

Innocence Proved By:

"Cantu filed a writ of habeas corpus and he was released when it was granted on April 22, 2005. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the writ on July 27, 2005 and the charges were dismissed on August 23, 2005."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

34

Age When Released:

34

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

Hispanic

Information Source 1:

"Raul Cantu, The National Registry of Exonerations"

Information Location 1:

https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=4031

Information Source 2:

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

Information Location 3:

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

Hosted on forejustice.org and mirrored on justicedenied.org .