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TheAssociated Press tions in the U.S. ]
Inger Chandler, chief;
HOUSTON — The of the conviction review i
•U.S. saw a record section with the Harris \
number of exonerations County District Attor- !
in 2014, and it was due ney's Office, said there j
Jn part to 33 cases in were inconsistent prac- |
Texas in which individu tices regarding, how her \
als had their drug con office handled reviews of I
victions dismissed after drug convictions. . j
lab tests determined Most of the 33' drug j
they never had illegal cases in Harris County in i
substances, a report re 2014 were ones where in;-1
leased Tuesday shows. dividuals pleaded guilty j
The National Registry before a lab test was com--
. of Exonerations said 125 pleted. ?;]
people falsely convicted There were often
of- crimes were exoner delays in completing testsq
ated last year. That's 34 and even when they werer
more than in 2013, the finished, there could be\
year with the previous additional delays in get
highest total: ting the results to prose?}
The registry is a proj cutors or defense")
ect of the University of attorneys. lS
Michigan and North Chandler said herV
western University law office has since stream1^
schools and has docu lined its procedures so^
mented more than 1,500 that all reviews of these^
such cases in the U.S. cases now go through her"
since 1989. section.
The breakdown in When asked why
2014 was typical of pre someone would plead*
vious years, with homi guiltyto a crime they did
cides and sex crimes not commit, Chandler
making up more than replied, "That is the-
half with 65 cases. Texas question ofthe day!"
had the most exonera Chandler said she be^
tions with 39..New York lieves some of the: indi^-c
was second with 17. yiduals thought they did'
But the big' difference have drugs and "got a,
in 2014 was an increase plea., deal early in th<£
,iri cases where individuals process and wanted, toj
convicted of drug-related move on."
charges were exonerated There were also many
by lab tests that showed individuals who because-
they didn't have con of their criminal history-,
trolled substances, said faced higher punishment
Samuel Gross, a Michi ranges if convicted at,,
gan law professor and trial, she said. .w
registry editor. "We are reviewing our
Of the 39 drug cases in internal processes ..:j
the U.S. in 2014, Harris taking a look at whether^
County in Texas — home we need to wait for lab)
to Houston — had 33 of reports before allowing!
them. In 2013, there were defendants, to plead]
only 11 such exonera guilty," Chandler said, yi