Armanda Knox guilty---- again

[dinolounger]

Yep, that's exactly what I'm suggesting. Roman Polanski has lived quite well for over 30 years as a fugitive from justice.

He has, but is the exception. And in case you missed it, that party may be about to end. Albeit, he's escaped justice so many times before, I'm not holding my breath.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/25/europe/roman-polanski-extradition/

And in case some here are unaware of (or need to be reminded of) who Polanski is and what he has done:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/roman-polanski-rape-victim-unveils-591015

http://www.vachss.com/mission/roman_polanski.html

As for Knox doing a Polanski, not sure she has the bankroll he does to stay comfortably underground for decades. Most of the advance from her book has already been blown on lawyers.

 

[dinolounger]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/amanda-knox-extradition/

The flawed CNN report you quoted was immediately refuted by legal scholars years ago, who pointed out clause 7 is not (as erroneously reported by the legal neophytes at CNN) about double jeopardy. READ IT CAREFULLY and you will see it instead states that if the person in consideration has been tried in each country for the SAME charge , neither can ask the other to extradite. So it's completely irrelevant to the Knox situation, because she was never charged with Kercher murder in the U.S. and never tried for it here.

 

[bcla]

Yes, our 1983 treaty with Italy contains an article that allows either country to specifically block extradition if the death penalty is an option. In the case of
Pietro Venezia, the italian Supreme Court actually went a step further and ruled Italy could not extradite to a legal domicle where the death penalty was on the books. Or put another way, verbal "assurances" from Dade county that it wouldn't be used weren't good enough for Italy. And their actions did conform with the Treaty.

Here's the treaty text:

https://internationalextraditionblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/italy.pdf

ARTICLE IX Capital Punishment

When the offense for which extradition is requested is punishable by death under the laws of the requesting Party and the laws of the requested Party do not provide for such punishment for that offense, extradition shall be refused unless the requesting Party provides such assurances as the requested Party considers sufficient that the death penalty shall not be imposed, or, if imposed, shall not be executed.

Whether or not they were in compliance with the treaty is a matter of debate. The Italian authorities thought they were. The US State Dept and Dade County DA thought they weren't. However, the "requested party" always has the final say.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I can understand the argument that we should honor extradition requests however double jeopardy is not something that I agree with. There's a little too much of "let's keep on trying her until we get what we want" going on here. There are reasons that our justice system doesn't allow it and personally I agree with those reasons.

I hope that she is never forced to go back. I don't pretend to have an opinion about her innocence or guilt because I haven't read all of the evidence but I do believe in innocent until proven guilty.

They didn't just keep trying her until they got a conviction. She was initially found guilty. Everything else has been part of their appeals process. It's not double jeopardy.
I think the use of the term acquitted in articles about Knox confuses the issue.

 

[dinolounger]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/amanda-knox-extradition/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/amanda-knox-extradition/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/25/politics/amanda-knox-extradition/

They didn't just keep trying her until they got a conviction. She was initially found guilty. Everything else has been part of their appeals process. It's not double jeopardy.
I think the use of the term acquitted in articles about Knox confuses the issue.

Sunshine is correct, the legal appeals process in Italy is structured differently than ours. And therein lies the reason so many people are feeling angst over this case. They are having a hard time understanding that our law doesn't just not mirror those of other countries, it doesn't supercede them. When you cross over the border into another nation, you are subject to their rules.

 

[mnrose]

Sunshine is correct, the legal appeals process in Italy is structured differently than ours. And therein lies the reason so many people are feeling angst over this case. They are having a hard time understanding that our law doesn't just not mirror those of other countries, it doesn't supercede them. When you cross over the border into another nation, you are subject to their rules.

Yup. Everything that has happened in this case is because of the Italian system of justice. In our system, it would have been "done" at the first appeal, when she was let free. Unfortunately for Ms. Knox, that is NOT the way the Italian system works.

It's their system. Their rules. And, I think if she is found guilty, she will be extradited, eventually. I don't see how we could NOT do it, honestly, without completely undermining our treaty obligations.

 

[dinolounger]

Yup. Everything that has happened in this case is because of the Italian system of justice. In our system, it would have been "done" at the first appeal, when she was let free. Unfortunately for Ms. Knox, that is NOT the way the Italian system works.

It's their system. Their rules. And, I think if she is found guilty, she will be extradited, eventually. I don't see how we could NOT do it, honestly, without completely undermining our treaty obligations.

Exactly, the State Department isn't going to trash our treaty agreements over a case like this. Heck, we are already having problems getting Snowden back; the last thing the Secretary of State wants to do is further aggravate our extradition position.

And back to our regularly scheduled program: the Court of Cassation -- Italy's highest court -- heard the appeal from Sollecito's legal counsel earlier today (counsel for Knox did theirs back on Wednesday). Reporters in the courtroom in Rome are saying Sollecito looked "pale and nervous" as he sat behind his lawyer during the appeal. After the closing statements concluded (which was at about 7am EDT here) the judges retired to consider their verdict, which is supposed to be announced today. For those interested, the best places to find ongoing updates are on the websites of major UK newspapers (Daily Express, Sun, Mirror, Telegraph, etc.).

As the crowds and media around the courthouse wait while the judges deliberate, this short report came in from Sky News:

6.12 As the wait for the decision continues, Patrick Lumumba, the Congolese-born bar owner who was falsely accused by Amanda Knox of murdering Miss Kercher, spoke to the press:

"Eight years on, I remain convinced that at the very least Amanda was there on the night of the murder and that she knows exactly what happened. She said that I, a black man, had sexual contact with Meredith. That was false, but three weeks later it emerged that another black man, Rudy Guede, had had sexual contact with poor Meredith. It suggests that Amanda knew what happened.

I'm convinced that her conviction will be upheld. She ruined the lives of many people. She is the only one who has emerged the winner - she is rich, famous, she's become a celebrity.

My life was destroyed after being falsely accused. I lost my job, my business. It affected my health."

 

[Imzadi]

Just announced on the news on TV, the new verdict is in:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/27/europe/amanda-knox/


"Amanda Knox murder conviction overturned by Italian Supreme Court
By Ralph Ellis and Hada Messia , CNN

Updated 6:10 PM ET, Fri March 27, 2015


Rome, (CNN)Italy's Supreme Court has overturned the murder conviction of American Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend in the 2007 slaying of her British roommate, the court announced late Friday.

Knox, 27, of Seattle, was convicted in 2009 for the killing of British student Meredith Kercher, who shared an apartment with her in the Italian university town of Perugia. Knox's boyfriend at the time, Raffaele Sollecito, had been found guilty, too.

The case is now closed, the court said, and both Knox and Sollecito are free to go.

Thus ends an eight-year legal saga that gripped the United States, Britain and Italy.

The semi-naked body of the 21-year-old Kercher, her throat slashed, was found in November 2007 at the home she shared with Knox in Perugia.

Prosecutors in Perugia said Knox directed Sollecito and another man infatuated with her, Rudy Guede, to hold Kercher down as Knox played with a knife before slashing Kercher's throat.

Both Sollecito and Knox were convicted in 2009 and sentenced to lengthy jail terms. Guede, a drifter originally from the Ivory Coast, was tried separately and is serving a 16-year sentence.

Then, after the evidence was re-examined, an appeals court quashed the two students' convictions in October 2011, citing a lack of evidence against them, and both were set free to return to a "normal" life.

Two years later, they were retried and their acquittals overturned. Knox was sentenced in absentia to 28½ years in prison. Her ex-boyfriend got 25 years.

CNN's Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report

 

[Jennasis]

Whew!

 

[mom2rtk]

OP, you might want to see if you can update the title of your thread. When I saw it, I thought the latest verdict was guilty.

 

[nugov2]

I'm sure it is such a relief for her!! I am glad that they made(IMO) the right decision. Hopefully all involved will be able to move on, especially Meredith's family.

 

[North of Mouse]

What a stressful 8 years - can't even begin to understand living under that cloud for all those years! I think of her poor mom!

 

[RitaE]

Wow. I really thought that one was going to end differently. I'm relieved for both of them and their families and hopefully they both can now find the lives they wish to lead. I sincerely hope Meredith Kercher's family finds some sort of peace although I don't think anything can ever cure the anguish of losing your daughter and sister in such a manner. I know their feelings regarding Amanda Knox and I"m sure they feel very upset tonight.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Yes, it's part of the Itslian system, but I still don't believe the U.S. would've sent her back. Now, it's a mute point. At least, I hope..right?

 

[asta]

I am glad for both Amanda Knox and Sollecito. I think the right decision was made. Hopefully all can move on from this sad situation.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Finally! Great news. The Kercher family got their justice...the murderer is serving time.

 

[bcla]

I would thought that this thread would have received more comments after the final verdict.

 

[LBIJim]

I would thought that this thread would have received more comments after the final verdict.

It's likely that few even care anymore. Now if her conviction was upheld and there was an extradition mess, plenty of people would be commenting.

 

[aristocatz]

I am happy for her. I hope she can go on and try to live a happy and peaceful rest of her life......and I hope the Kercher family can finally have a little closure, so they can start to heal.

 

[Mizzoufan]

Finally!They can breathe a lot easier tonight!