Amanda Knox cleared of murder

[biro]

Earlier today in Perugia, Italy, the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito in the murder case of U.K. student Meredith Kircher were overturned. The case evoked strong reactions from the public, and was heavily covered in the media in many countries.

From the article:

Speaking outside the courtroom, Miss Knox's lawyer, Carlo Della Vedova, said there was "no winner" in the case and the appeal court had "rectified a mistake".

"Meredith was a friend of Amanda - we should never forget this and we have to respect the sorrow of all the families," he told the BBC.

[GTAsoldier]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/03/world/europe/italy-knox-appeal/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- In a ruling read to a tension-filled courtroom, an Italian jury on Monday cleared Amanda Knox of murder and other charges, nearly four years after she was arrested on suspicion of having killed her roommate in this picturesque Italian university town.

There was an audible gasp in the courtroom as the verdict was read, then an eruption of emotion, prompting the judge to call for silence. Knox herself was nearly hysterical, according to CNN's Matthew Chance, and had to be assisted out of the courtroom by two people.

The jury evidently believed Knox's impassioned final statement to the court, delivered in a voice trembling with emotion.

"I am not what they say I am -- perverse, violent. ... I haven't murdered. I haven't raped. I haven't stolen," Knox said in the most important speech of her life. Her co-defendant, Raffaele Sollecito, was also cleared of involvement in the 2007 death of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student and Knox's roommate in Perugia.

I'm personally glad that she's out. In my opinion (even if you were convicted of a crime), if you spend a lot of time fighting a charge and openly defending yourself in a situation like this, you may get a shot of innocence. Unfortunately, the justice system in Italy (guilty until proven innocent) and the court of popular opinion keeps hindering it. What say ye?

- GTA

[PeterTheAleut]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/03/world/europe/italy-knox-appeal/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Perugia, Italy (CNN) -- In a ruling read to a tension-filled courtroom, an Italian jury on Monday cleared Amanda Knox of murder and other charges, nearly four years after she was arrested on suspicion of having killed her roommate in this picturesque Italian university town.

There was an audible gasp in the courtroom as the verdict was read, then an eruption of emotion, prompting the judge to call for silence. Knox herself was nearly hysterical, according to CNN's Matthew Chance, and had to be assisted out of the courtroom by two people.

The jury evidently believed Knox's impassioned final statement to the court, delivered in a voice trembling with emotion.

"I am not what they say I am -- perverse, violent. ... I haven't murdered. I haven't raped. I haven't stolen," Knox said in the most important speech of her life. Her co-defendant, Raffaele Sollecito, was also cleared of involvement in the 2007 death of Meredith Kercher, a British exchange student and Knox's roommate in Perugia.

I'm personally glad that she's out. In my opinion (even if you were convicted of a crime), if you spend a lot of time fighting a charge and openly defending yourself in a situation like this, you may get a shot of innocence. Unfortunately, the justice system in Italy (guilty until proven innocent) and the court of popular opinion keeps hindering it. What say ye?

- GTA

I think one of the keys to this acquittal was that the DNA evidence that was used in a lower court to convict her was thrown out as substandard.

[primuspilus]

I can say that the media made it out that italian legal jurisprudence is akin to a kangaroo court.

PP

[Jonathan Gress]

I can say that the media made it out that italian legal jurisprudence is akin to a kangaroo court.

PP

It's easy to get a poor impression of Italian justice just by reading about Berlusconi's legal issues. But maybe one of the issues that Americans don't understand is that in continental civil law traditions, judges are not impartial, but rather part of their office is to prosecute criminals. A judge that to an American or Englishman would look grotesquely biased is just doing his job. Is this maybe what was going on in the media presentation?

[primuspilus]

I can say that the media made it out that italian legal jurisprudence is akin to a kangaroo court.

PP

It's easy to get a poor impression of Italian justice just by reading about Berlusconi's legal issues. But maybe one of the issues that Americans don't understand is that in continental civil law traditions, judges are not impartial, but rather part of their office is to prosecute criminals. A judge that to an American or Englishman would look grotesquely biased is just doing his job. Is this maybe what was going on in the media presentation?

More than likely. I was listening to a talking head say that in italy, 3rd hand heresay is admissable. So is character assassination. Is that true?

PP

[biro]

I find different justice systems very interesting. I need to some more reading on them.

[Asteriktos]

Looking up for her I guess...

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