Houston Chronicle by St. John Barned-Smith Aug. 17, 2020
Otis Mallet clears his name, 12 years after conviction based on ex-HPD cop Gerald Goines' evidence
It took Otis Mallet 12 years, three months and 16 days to clear his name.
District Judge Ramona Franklin signed a request from Harris County prosecutors to dismiss Mallet’s drug conviction, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Monday.
Mallet’s case is the first of more than 150 convictions that prosecutors say could be overturned because of lies or fraudulent testimony from a former Houston police officer now charged with murder.
“The findings of Judge Franklin, the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the wording of the State’s dismissals all prove that Mr. Mallet is innocent of the crimes he was wrongfully convicted of years ago,†said Mallet’s attorney, Jonathan Landers, calling the case’s conclusion “long overdue.â€
It began in 2008, when former narcotics officer Gerald Goines arrested Mallet and accused him of selling drugs. He maintained his innocence, but a jury sentenced him to eight years. He spent two years behind bars before being paroled.
His appeals failed. Still, he kept fighting, and asked for post-conviction relief.
His case sat for years.
More:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/crime/article/judge-dismisses-drug-conviction-gerald-goines-15489645.php
