Today, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office publishes the first finding from our Conviction Integrity Unit. The Conviction Integrity Unit has spent the last year reviewing the following case. The purpose of the CIU is to review and investigate post-conviction claims of innocence and make recommendations to the District Attorney about the disposition of those claims.
The panel recommends no action be taken by the District Attorney to vacate, modify or otherwise affect Mr. Burke's conviction or sentence. The facts and conclusions made by the CIU are based on evidence of which they are currently aware. If additional facts become available, the conclusion may change.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said, "As prosecutors we have a tremendous responsibility to ensure justice is done. If someone is wrongfully convicted, we have a duty to right that wrong. Our Conviction Integrity Unit has been careful, diligent, and deliberate in reaching a conclusion. I accept their recommendation and support the findings. We will never close the door on a claim of innocence, new information always has the possibility of changing a decision. When this unit was created it was done so with an eye towards independence and transparency. Every review done by the CIU will be published unedited for the sake of transparency."