Ferenc Burka Sr.

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	13 years
Years Imprisoned:	6
Year Crime:	1999
Year Convicted:	2002
Year Cleared:	2005
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	Hungary
County or Region of Crime:
City of Crime:
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Ferenc Burka Sr. was co-defendant of his son, Ferenc Burka Jr. Both men were wrongly convicted in April 2002 of the March 4, 1999 robbery and murder of a man in Ujszentmargita, a village in northeastern Hungary. Ferenc Burka Jr. was sentenced to 15 years in prison and his father to 13 years. The father and son were taken into custody on March 16, 1999 and held without bail. Their sentences began on that day. Their convictions were quashed on appeal by the Szeged Judicial Court in September 2003 and a retrial was ordered. In March 2005 the men were released on bail pending their retrial. On July 9, 2005 they were acquitted after their retrial and released from custody."
Conviction Caused By:	Erroneous eyewitness testimony and prosecutor speculation about circumstantial evidence
Innocence Proved By:	"Conviction quashed on appeal by the Szeged Judicial Court in September 2003 and a retrial was ordered. In March 2005 the men were released on bail pending their retrial. On July 9, 2005 they were acquitted after their retrial and released from custody."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	48
Age When Released:	54
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"Hungarian Court Acquits Two Romani Men After 2100 Days in Prison, Romsky Informacni Servis, Budapest, August 1, 2005"
Information Location 1:	http://www.romea.cz/english/index.php?id=servis/z_en_2005_0193
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:

Go to Database Search Page

Go to Database Index Page

Ferenc Burka Sr.

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

13 years

Years Imprisoned:

6

Year Crime:

1999

Year Convicted:

2002

Year Cleared:

2005

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

Hungary

County or Region of Crime:

City of Crime:

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness testimony and prosecutor speculation about circumstantial evidence

Innocence Proved By:

"Conviction quashed on appeal by the Szeged Judicial Court in September 2003 and a retrial was ordered. In March 2005 the men were released on bail pending their retrial. On July 9, 2005 they were acquitted after their retrial and released from custody."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

48

Age When Released:

54

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Hungarian Court Acquits Two Romani Men After 2100 Days in Prison, Romsky Informacni Servis, Budapest, August 1, 2005"

Information Location 1:

http://www.romea.cz/english/index.php?id=servis/z_en_2005_0193

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: