Wrongly Convicted Database

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Frank Alan Button

Years Imprisoned:	0.83
Charge:	Rape
Sentence:	7 yrs
Year Convicted:	2000
Year Cleared:	2001
Location of Trial:	Australia
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Australia's first wrongly convicted person exonerated by DNA evidence after being falsely convicted of rape. Spent 10 months wrongly imprisoned. "In Queensland, Australia, the results of postconviction DNA testing persuaded the Court of Appeal to overturn the conviction of Frank Alan Button for the 1999 rape of a 13-year old girl. Prior to his trial tests were not performed on the sheets from the bed where the rape occurred. Authorities reasoned that because Button had been staying at with the girl's family, it was likely that his DNA would be present. The postconviction DNA testing not only did not match Button, but it also identified another suspect. Prosecutors have not yet charged the other suspect." Source - Suzanne Klotz, Sex Conviction a Black Day, Court Told, AAP Newsfeed, Apr. 10, 2001. After the April 10, 2001 reversal of his conviction, Button was released after ten months wrongful imprisonment."
Conviction Caused By:	Erroneous eyewitness testimony by the victim.
Innocence Proved By:	Court of Appeal reversed Button's conviction on April 1, 2001 based on DNA tests that excluded him as the victim's attacker
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Found?
Age When Imprisoned:	29
Age When Released:	30
Information Source 1:	DPP questioned over DNA evidence
Information Location 1:	http://www.abc.net.au/pm/PMChronoidx2002_Tuesday19March2002.htm
Information Source 2:	Post Conviction DNA Testing, American Prosecutors Research Institute, April 4-10-2001
Information Location 2:	http://www.ndaa.org/apri/programs/dna/april_4_10_2001.html
Information Source 3:	Forensics Under the Microscope, CMC Report, Oct 2002
Information Location 3:	http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/library/CMCWEBSITE/ForensicScienceUndertheMicroscope.pdf
Information Source 4:
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Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Ethnicity/Skin:	White
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Frank Alan Button

Years Imprisoned:

0.83

Charge:

Rape

Sentence:

7 yrs

Year Convicted:

2000

Year Cleared:

2001

Location of Trial:

Australia

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Erroneous eyewitness testimony by the victim.

Innocence Proved By:

Court of Appeal reversed Button's conviction on April 1, 2001 based on DNA tests that excluded him as the victim's attacker

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Found?

Age When Imprisoned:

29

Age When Released:

30

Information Source 1:

DPP questioned over DNA evidence

Information Location 1:

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/PMChronoidx2002_Tuesday19March2002.htm

Information Source 2:

Post Conviction DNA Testing, American Prosecutors Research Institute, April 4-10-2001

Information Location 2:

http://www.ndaa.org/apri/programs/dna/april_4_10_2001.html

Information Source 3:

Forensics Under the Microscope, CMC Report, Oct 2002

Information Location 3:

http://www.cmc.qld.gov.au/library/CMCWEBSITE/ForensicScienceUndertheMicroscope.pdf

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Ethnicity/Skin:

White

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

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