Texas Ranks in the Top 3 for Most Exonerations in the United States

Texas is home to a lot of criminals and for those crimes, most of those criminals sit in one of the 64 prisons in the state.  However, some of these criminals are exonerated and go free.

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According to a report by the National Registry of Exonerations, in 2022, 233 exonerations occurred in the United States of America.  Out of the 233 exonerations across the country 117 were for non-violent and 116 were for violent crimes.  Out of all the exonerations, 100 of those were drug possession cases.

What is exoneration?

It is the action of officially absolving someone from blame; vindication.

Texas was third in the country for exonerations in 2022 with 11.

The following Texans were exonerated in 2022.

Tracy Brown,

Harris County,

Convicted: 1992

Factors for Exoneration: Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense

Jarrell Cleveland

Harris County

Convicted: 2012

Factors for Exoneration: False or Misleading Forensic Evidence

Kelly Daws

Jefferson County

Convicted: 2019

Factors for Exoneration: False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense

Gonzalo Gonzalez

McLennans

Convicted: 2020

Factors for Exoneration: Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct

Roger Hawkins, Jr.

Tarrant County

Convicted: 1993

Factors for Exoneration: Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense

Ray Hicks

Harris County

Convicted: 2013

Factors for Exoneration: False Confession, Official Misconduct

Carlos Jaile

El Paso County

Convicted: 1993

Factors for Exoneration: DNA Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense

Frederick Jeffery

Harris County

Convicted: 2018

Factors for Exoneration: Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct

Bruce Leason

Harris County

Convicted: 2008

Factors for Exoneration: Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence

Mallory Nicholson

Dallas County

Convicted: 1982

Factors for Exoneration: Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct

Lamarcus Turner

Travis County

Convicted: 2015

Factors for Exoneration: False or Misleading Forensic Evidence

Even though Texas was in the Top 3, it was Illinois that topped the list for exonerations in the US.  They had 126 exonerations.

So far in 2023, Texas has exonerated 10 people, which means by the end of the year it will probably be doubled.