Amanda Knox convicted...

[ASUADPi]

The verdict came in and Amanda Knox was convicted of murder and sentenced to 26 years in Prison.

Here's the link...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091206/..._student_slain

Quite honestly, I believe she is innocent. If this case had happened here, she would have never even been tried. All the "evidence" against her was completely circumstancial, that any good defense attorney could stab a whole through.

I feel bad for her, especially since it has been reported that the jurors aren't like ours (pretty much we try to select non-biased jurors, emphasis on try). These jurors lived in the small town and already had their opinions.

Remind me not to go to Italy, since I think their pennial system SUCKS big time!!!!!!

I really hope that the U.S. steps in. All these other countries step in when one of their "citizens" is tried and convicted here in the U.S., it's only appropriate that we be "just as annoying".

Thoughts?

[Kevin]

From what I've read, the Italian legal system lets the state make a lot of arguments which in the U.S. would have been considered improper. Hopefully, the appellate courts of Italy do something about this.

[federico]

I'm an italian guy and i have read everywhere that amanda was condamned because italians are antiamericans.

First i want to say one thing: if meredith was killed in Texas, do you believe the texans were going to let amanda walk away???

That said the idea that we condamned her because she is american is a big lie. Are you saying then the italians are antiamericans? Do you believe that we are like iran and north-korea???Well then try to remember that after 9/11 we sent militaries to afghanistan and iran because we knew it was the right thing to do.Of course we couldn't do much there (our army is a joke), but we also lost soldiers over there. Where were the germans and the french people????And you say that we are antiamericans.You are spitting on our deads when you say that.

I also want you to remember that in italy the appeal is very different, because you have more chances to win than in the first trial.And the there is an other trial. So is not over yet.

But most of all i want you all to understand that we italians really like the americans (we rember that you saved our ass in 1945) and that we don't judge a girl because of her looking, religion or sexual orientation (that is oklahoma, not italy).And all the stupid things the cia made here are not going to change that.Never.

If one day you guys come to italy you will see that you are wrong when you say that we are antiamericans, and that we are instead a beautiful and friendly country.

[agzg]

I don't believe anyone here (of the two people that posted) said that she was convicted because Italians are anti-American. Their arguments were that the trial would have been different had the event occurred in the US.

Also, The United States did not invade Iran. We invaded Iraq. Not the same.

[federico]

There is at least 1 senator that believes it.And a lot of bloggers.

And i know the difference between iran and iraq (doh!), i just wrote too fast and made a mistake.

After all even if she is innocent, well every legal sistem sometime makes mistakes too.Remeber o.j. simpson???

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by federico

we don't judge a girl because of her looking, religion or sexual orientation (that is oklahoma, not italy).

As a life-long Oklahoman, I'm going to have to take a little bit of offense to that.

And it's not anti-Americanism I suspect. It's much simpler. You have an out of control prosecutor who doesn't give a damn about the guilt or evidence of the accused, she'll just do anything, including lie and cheat to win a conviction. And that sort of prosecutor, unfortunately isn't only found in Italy. We have them in Oklahoma also. Even so, there's no way in hell even our worst would attempt, much less get away with what the prosecutor in the Knox case has apparently done. Not even in the most backwater, rural, redneck part of this fine state would that happen.

Apparently, Italy's Code of Evidence allows prosecutors to bring in irrelevant, prejudicial and speculative character evidence to bolster their case. If that had been attempted in an American court (even an Oklahoman court as that's where I'm a licensed and practicing attorney), not only would much of what the prosecutor said about Knox have been thrown out, it also would have caused a mistrial.

It's also alleged that the prosecutor leaked false details to the media for the jury's consumption (as the jury wasn't sequestered).

And of course, you don't really have a case where the theory fit the facts and evidence.. (what little actual evidence there was).

I do hope this case is overturned on appeal and Ms. Knox is afforded a fair trial, which is probably impossible in Italy due to the absurd publicity. Every person charged with a crime deserves a fair hearing and Knox didn't get that.

And I guess I'd better stay out of Italy.. now that I've made some harsh comments regarding this prosecutor, I may be charged with defamation as it seems just about everyone connected to Ms. Knox has been. Anyone know what the statute of limitations for defamation is? Italy is a nice place and I'd like to visit again someday.

[Ghostwriter]

^^^ Ditto the above.

I sometimes wonder if this is not payback for the NATO plane hitting the gondola full of Italians and causing their death as well as the botched rescue of the Italian in Iraq.

Bottom line - how does one remove all their own fingerprints from a scene of murder but leave another persons. It is impossible.

[federico]

1) the jurors in america are not sequestred 99% of the times. It happens only if they are threatened.

2)in italy you can blame the defendant, but you can also pray him. And most importantly the jurors are watched by 2 judges that control that they don't convict anyone just because they don't like him .



3)The knife sequestered from Raffaele Sollecito’s apartment is in fact compatible with the deep puncture wound on Meredith’s neck. This was a point that even the defence forensic experts conceded.The american media are saying lies about this.

The tests on the DNA found on the blade of the knife were not inconclusive. Dr. Patrizia Stefanoni testified at the trial that the DNA on the blade of the knife has been reliably identified as Meredith’s

Both Dr. Renato Biondo, the head of the DNA Unit of the scientific police, and the Kerchers’ own DNA expert, Professor Francesca Torricelli, provided independent confirmation that this forensic finding is accurate and reliable.

The double DNA knife is far from the only piece of incriminating forensic evidence.

There were five instances of Amanda Knox’s DNA mixed with Meredith’s blood in three different locations in the cottage, including in Filomena’s room where the break-in was staged.

Furthermore, there was a woman’s bloody shoeprint compatible with Knox’s foot size on a pillow in Meredith’s room. This bloody shoeprint was not compatible with Meredith’s own foot size.

An abundant amount of Raffaele Sollecito’s DNA was found on Meredith’s bra clasp.

Two bloody footprints were attributed to Raffaele Sollecito. One of them was revealed by luminol in the hallway, and the other one was easily visible to the naked eye on the blue bathmat in Meredith’s and Knox’s shared bathroom.

4) someone tried to wash the knife with a very powerful soap , and amanda buyed that soap exactly that morning, after searching the net for a soap that was able to clean blood (doh)

5)Amanda changed her story 4 times, because story n.1 and n.2 and n. 3 where proved lies.

So, who thinks she is innocent and our legaly sistem sucks now???

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by Kevin

As a life-long Oklahoman, I'm going to have to take a little bit of offense to that.

And it's not anti-Americanism I suspect. It's much simpler. You have an out of control prosecutor who doesn't give a damn about the guilt or evidence of the accused, she'll just do anything, including lie and cheat to win a conviction. And that sort of prosecutor, unfortunately isn't only found in Italy. We have them in Oklahoma also. Even so, there's no way in hell even our worst would attempt, much less get away with what the prosecutor in the Knox case has apparently done. Not even in the most backwater, rural, redneck part of this fine state would that happen.

Apparently, Italy's Code of Evidence allows prosecutors to bring in irrelevant, prejudicial and speculative character evidence to bolster their case. If that had been attempted in an American court (even an Oklahoman court as that's where I'm a licensed and practicing attorney), not only would much of what the prosecutor said about Knox have been thrown out, it also would have caused a mistrial.

It's also alleged that the prosecutor leaked false details to the media for the jury's consumption (as the jury wasn't sequestered).

And of course, you don't really have a case where the theory fit the facts and evidence.. (what little actual evidence there was).

I do hope this case is overturned on appeal and Ms. Knox is afforded a fair trial, which is probably impossible in Italy due to the absurd publicity. Every person charged with a crime deserves a fair hearing and Knox didn't get that.

And I guess I'd better stay out of Italy.. now that I've made some harsh comments regarding this prosecutor, I may be charged with defamation as it seems just about everyone connected to Ms. Knox has been. Anyone know what the statute of limitations for defamation is? Italy is a nice place and I'd like to visit again someday.

Very well said, Kevin.

This case reminded me how thankful I am for the American legal system.

[federico]

Originally Posted by ThetaDancer

Very well said, Kevin.

This case reminded me how thankful I am for the American legal system.

Well, then try to rember that the idea of "legal system" itself was created in rome (a lots of legal terms are still in latin) and be thankful to our fathers too.

Guys, a fair trial is something that all democracies try to have, but is not easy.And the media are a big problem for the justice everywhere , not just in italy. Just like the stupid politicians (like cantwell) are a big problem for the friendship among countries.

And italy and america are really two friend countries, that is why many of the speeches a lot of americans are doing about this are just stupid.

Anyway, if you really want to know, what we really think in italy now is:"If they really want the evil bitch back, they can have her!!!".

But then we rember of meredith.

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by federico

Well, then try to rember that the idea of "legal system" itself was created in rome (a lots of legal terms are still in latin) and be thankful to our fathers too.

Guys, a fair trial is something that all democracies try to have, but is not easy.And the media are a big problem for the justice everywhere , not just in italy. Just like the stupid politicians (like cantwell) are a big problem for the friendship among countries.

And italy and america are really two friend countries, that is why many of the speeches a lot of americans are doing about this are just stupid.

Anyway, if you really want to know, what we really think in italy now is:"If they really want the evil bitch back, they can have her!!!".

But then we rember of meredith.

Um ok, thanks for the reminder. Stop being so defensive and taking everything personally. No one is bashing Italy.

[federico]

No? But your statements mean that we are giving 26 years to a girl because we resent the U.S. for the deaths of Calipari and of the italians of the gondola (which is so not true, we resent the pilot not the u.s., and we know that friendly fire kills) and we have a third world legal system that is not nearly as good as yours. What is this???


My point is that you need to read more in order to understand why the judges and prosecution decided the way they did.
Of course, the mistakes happen quite often. But most of your opinions are obviously based on the lack of information relevant to the case. We are not all that stupid to be blind and not see what you see. But we also know OTHER THINGS, of which you're not informed.You need to read more in order to understand why the judges and prosecution decided the way they did.

[ThetaDancer]

Originally Posted by federico

No? But your statements mean that we are giving 26 years to a girl because we 1 resent the U.S. for the deaths of Calipari and of the italians of the gondola (which is so not true, we hate the pilot not the u.s., and we know that friendly fire kills) and we have a third world legal system that is not nearly as good as yours. What is this???


My poit is that you need to read more in order to understand why the judges and prosecution decided the way they did.
Of course, the mistakes happen quite often. But most of your opinions are obviously based on the lack of information relevant to the case. We are not all that stupid to be blind and not see what you see. But we also know OTHER THINGS, of which you're not informed.You need to read more in order to understand why the judges and prosecution decided the way they did.
Of course, the mistakes happen quite often. But your opinion is obviously based on the lack of information relevant to the case. They are not all that stupid to be blind and not see what you see. But they also see OTHER THINGS, of which you're not informed.

What the hell are you talking about? Which one of my statements would that be? Being thankful for the American legal system is not the equivalent of saying Italy has a third world legal system.

My only other statement in this thread was that I think you should stop taking things personally and getting unnecessarily defensive. And, especially after reading the rambling post of yours I quoted, I stand by that.

[Ghostwriter]

Originally Posted by federico

So, who thinks she is innocent and our legaly sistem sucks now???

I do!

[GammaPhi88]

Does anyone else love how this is the only topic this Federico guy has posted? And how his join date was two days ago, right after the topic was started.

I think Amanda is innocent. I read as much on the case as was available and I think the evidence is inconclusive.