April Degeorge Grotton

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Charge:	Drug Related (Possession or sale)
Sentence:	365 days
Years Imprisoned:	0.67
Year Crime:	2013
Year Convicted:	2014
Year Cleared:	2017
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Texas
County or Region of Crime:	Montgomery
City of Crime:	Trinity
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"April Degeorge Grotton was wrongly convicted on December 4, 2013 of being in possession of a controlled substance in Montgomery County, Texas. April Grotton was arrested on May 23, 2013 based on a positive field test for the presence of methamphetamine on cotton ear swabs in her possession. Grotton pled guilty in exchange for four years deferred adjudication community supervision. Grotton violated the terms of her agreement, which she admitted to on July 11, 2014, and she was adjudicated guilty and sentenced to 365 days in state jail. Grotton servedher sentence. In 2016 testing of the cotton swabs by the Texas Department of Public Safety failed to detect any controlled substance on the cotton swabs. The Montgomery County District Attorney notified Grotton and the district court of the new exculpatory evidence. Grotton was appointed a lawyer who filed a state petition for a writ of habeas corpus to withdraw her guilty plea and for a new trial. The DA's Office did not oppose the petition. The judge recommended the granting of Grotton's petition. On December 14, 2016 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted April Degeorge Grotton's habeas corpus petition on the basis new expert evidence she did not possess a controlled substance established her guilty plea was involuntary. The Montgomery County DA filed a motion to dismiss the charges against April Grotton that was granted on January 10, 2017."
Conviction Caused By:	Field drug test that erroneously detected methamphetamine.
Innocence Proved By:	"On December 14, 2016 the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted April Degeorge Grotton's habeas corpus petition on the basis new expert evidence she did not possess a controlled substance established her guilty plea was involuntary. The Montgomery County DA filed a motion to dismiss the charges against April Grotton that was granted on January 10, 2017."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	38
Age When Released:	39
Sex:	Female
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Ex Parte April DeGeorge Grotton, No. WR-86,075-01 (Tex. Court of Criminal Appeals 12-14-2016) (Granting habeas corpus petition on the basis new forensic evidence she did not possess a controlled substance established her guilty plea was not voluntary.)"
Information Location 1:	http://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2016/wr-86-075-01.html
Information Source 2:	"Trinity Co. authorities arrest woman in big drug bust, By KTRE (Trinity, TX), KLTV Chnl 7 (Houston)"
Information Location 2:	http://www.kltv.com/story/21578088/trinity-co-authorities-arrest-woman-in-big-drug-bust
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April Degeorge Grotton

Charge:

Drug Related (Possession or sale)

Sentence:

365 days

Years Imprisoned:

0.67

Year Crime:

2013

Year Convicted:

2014

Year Cleared:

2017

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Texas

County or Region of Crime:

Montgomery

City of Crime:

Trinity

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Field drug test that erroneously detected methamphetamine.

Innocence Proved By:

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

38

Age When Released:

39

Sex:

Female

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Ex Parte April DeGeorge Grotton, No. WR-86,075-01 (Tex. Court of Criminal Appeals 12-14-2016) (Granting habeas corpus petition on the basis new forensic evidence she did not possess a controlled substance established her guilty plea was not voluntary.)"

Information Location 1:

http://law.justia.com/cases/texas/court-of-criminal-appeals/2016/wr-86-075-01.html

Information Source 2:

"Trinity Co. authorities arrest woman in big drug bust, By KTRE (Trinity, TX), KLTV Chnl 7 (Houston)"

Information Location 2:

http://www.kltv.com/story/21578088/trinity-co-authorities-arrest-woman-in-big-drug-bust

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Information Location 5:

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Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

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Movie About Case:

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