CORTLAND, NY (607NewsNow) – Attempted murder charges are expected to be dismissed in Cortland County.
District Attorney Patrick Perfetti says a compromise with the public defender’s office will help avoid a mistrial declaration in the case of 61-year-old Steven Burda, according to the Cortland Standard.
In January 2024, Burda, who previously pled not guilty to a 17-count indictment, shot at police trying to evict him from his home on Homer Avenue in the City of Cortland. Officers serving the eviction notice attempted to de-escalate the situation before using non-lethal force to disarm Burda, who then fired his shotgun in their direction.
Cortland County Sheriff’s Office Captain Anthony Phelps returned fire, wounding Burda in the leg and ending the threat. Captain Phelps secured the scene and applied a tourniquet to the wound that saved Burda’s life. Phelps was cleared of wrongdoing in the incident, and later received the NYS 2024 Police Officer Medal of Honor for his actions.
After several delays, a jury returned a partial verdict on July 21, 2026, choosing to convict Burda on nine criminal charges, including four counts of attempted aggravated assault of an officer, but not attempted murder, as members were deadlocked.
Burda is expected to receive a 10-year prison sentence later this month.
