Amanda Knox

[davjohns 1]

normiss

Was that not a "waiver of speedy trial" type prosecution?
I think I remember hearing something like that.
Maybe it was just a plea deal?

As I understood it, the first conviction was under the fast track. The reduction in sentence came later...after he gave a statement that he saw Knox at the scene when he exited the bathroom. Even with the revised statement, he couldn't explain his bloody palm prints at the scene. Apparently, he took a dump; failed to flush; left without saying goodbye to the girl he had been making out with; doesn't know how his semen got into her.

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[weekender 0]

normiss

How are the Prime Minister's parties going these days?

Bill Clinton was impeached and disbarred. he is known to be a serial adulterer and has even had credible accusations against him of sexual harassment. additionally, he has been accused of sexual assault and even rape. he was elected governor of a state and President of the US multiple times. he is still beloved by millions of Americans.

I still believe our courts system is a first world one. as is the Italian one. its my opinion. you can differ.

"The point is, I'm weird, but I never felt weird."
John Frusciante

[normiss 622]

He never hired hooker children, but I agree that US politicians are no different.

Thankfully, our justice system is though.

[tbrown 26]

Quote

I have no idea why the media loves her so much and ignores the facts. kidding of course i do. pretty white girls bring in the ratings when you feel sorry for them. no so much when they are horrible murderers.

I really have no idea whether or not Knox is actually guilty. She might even be another OJ. But OJ walked, like it or not, because he was acquitted in a court of law.

What kind of a judiciary overturns a conviction, releases someone from prison, allows them to leave the country, and then decides they want to change their mind - again ? It wouldn't happen here in America.

So even though Italy has an extradition treaty with the U.S., I believe the U.S. has the right to refuse on the grounds of double jeopardy. Because if we let Knox be extradited back to Italy, then we set a precedent for any country with a halfass court system to haul away any American citizen from American soil on any pretense. They had their chance and they BLEW it. End of story.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[dorbie 0]

kallend

***The Italian legal system is a circus of the likes we haven't seen since the 15th century OJ Simpson trial.

FIFY

At least the OJ trial erred on the side of acquittal, which is how the system is supposed to work.

[weekender 0]

tbrown

Quote

I have no idea why the media loves her so much and ignores the facts. kidding of course i do. pretty white girls bring in the ratings when you feel sorry for them. no so much when they are horrible murderers.

I really have no idea whether or not Knox is actually guilty. She might even be another OJ. But OJ walked, like it or not, because he was acquitted in a court of law.

What kind of a judiciary overturns a conviction, releases someone from prison, allows them to leave the country, and then decides they want to change their mind - again ? It wouldn't happen here in America.

So even though Italy has an extradition treaty with the U.S., I believe the U.S. has the right to refuse on the grounds of double jeopardy. Because if we let Knox be extradited back to Italy, then we set a precedent for any country with a halfass court system to haul away any American citizen from American soil on any pretense. They had their chance and they BLEW it. End of story.

Im not an attorney and even if i was it would be an American one. i dont know your credentials but am assuming you are not an Italian legal expert either.

the Italian system of appeals is different. from what ive read, you can appeal 2x. if its overturned, you are considered innocent again. this is why Knox left or as the Italians see it, fled the state. the prosecution can then request another trial. in this case it was granted. in the second trial she was convicted.

It is not the USA. i understand to many that means it must then be inferior, backwater, third world circus. i just see it as different. perhaps Miss Knox should have read more about the legal system before she moved there and murdered her roommate. (my opinion is she did it)

"The point is, I'm weird, but I never felt weird."
John Frusciante

[jclalor 12]

Why would she now be exempt from extradition?

[normiss 622]

Our constitution protects us from double jeopardy.

[weekender 0]

normiss

Our constitution protects us from double jeopardy.

In Italy? I'm pretty sure that the US Constitution, while a pretty awesome document, is not recognized in Italian courts as the rule of law. If you commit a crime in Italy, you must abide by Italian rules. at least that seems right to me.

i really wish someone smarter than you and I would chime in. no offense. i dont think either of us are experts on this topic. Italian food, yes. Italian law, not so much.

"The point is, I'm weird, but I never felt weird."
John Frusciante

[Andy9o8 0]

jclalor

Why would she now be exempt from extradition?

Technically she is subject to extradition. But many countries carve out exceptions (whether formally or informally) to extradition treaties where either the offense or the punishment would be contrary to their own law or principles.

For example, many countries that don't have capital punishment refuse to extradite murder suspects/defendants to the US unless the US guarantees in advance that the person will never be subject to the death penalty.

On the other side, the US is reluctant to extradite people for acts that are not deemed criminal in the US (often to prevent political prosecutions) or that are believed to be political prosecutions in disguise, OR who have been tried and convicted in absentia (which is usually unlawful in the US), OR who have been subject to double jeopardy.
(The US's practice of participating in "extraordinary rendition" renders this somewhat hypocritical, but that's another discussion.)
-----------------------------------------

ETA to weekender: >>In Italy? I'm pretty sure that the US Constitution, while a pretty awesome document, is not recognized in Italian courts as the rule of law.
It's not a matter of Italian courts recognizing US double jeopardy prohibitions; since she's currently on US soil, it's a matter of the US considering it in deciding whether or not to extradite her.

[tigra 0]

I don't think the US will even consider extradition until the final appeal has been heard. By that time, Rudy Guede (whose semen and bloody handprints were found inside and on Meredith Kercher) could very well be free, raping and murdering other young women.

[Liemberg 0]

Quote

I don't think the US will even consider extradition until the final appeal has been heard. By that time, Rudy Guede (whose semen and bloody handprints were found inside and on Meredith Kercher) could very well be free, raping and murdering other young women.

Why would you think a black displaced economic / political male refugee would be much more likely to kill a young white woman than an american ingenué - that is into the music of Schubert, for crying out loud? And rewarding the true killer (you know, boring physical evidence) with a reduced sentence also doesn't do much for truth-finding usually but hey - they invented law in Rome, so they must know a few things.

NEVER TALK TO THE POLICE.

especially if you have to adress them in a foreign language...

That 'double jeopardy' thing you have over there across the water is something that is lacking in several European legal systems. Then again, we are not in the habbit of executing convicted killers - even repeated ones. ..

"Whoever in discussion adduces authority uses not intellect but memory." - Leonardo da Vinci
A thousand words...

[normiss 622]

weekender

i really wish someone smarter than you and I would chime in. no offense. i dont think either of us are experts on this topic. Italian food, yes. Italian law, not so much.

Fully agreed.

Makes for a very interesting legal consideration.

I wish her the best.

[kelpdiver 2]

Liemberg

That 'double jeopardy' thing you have over there across the water is something that is lacking in several European legal systems. Then again, we are not in the habbit of executing convicted killers - even repeated ones. ..

But if you dismiss and then convict someone, don't you really need to have a third tie breaker trial?

[strife 0]

It will be interesting to see if Double Jeopardy really applies here given the sequence of conviction \ appeal etc.

[DJL 232]

kelpdiver

***
That 'double jeopardy' thing you have over there across the water is something that is lacking in several European legal systems. Then again, we are not in the habbit of executing convicted killers - even repeated ones. ..

But if you dismiss and then convict someone, don't you really need to have a third tie breaker trial?


I believe the case goes to a paper, scissors, rock trial.

"I encourage all awesome dangerous behavior." - Jeffro Fincher

[skypuppy 1]

tbrown

What kind of a judiciary overturns a conviction, releases someone from prison, allows them to leave the country, and then decides they want to change their mind - again ? It wouldn't happen here in America.

So even though Italy has an extradition treaty with the U.S., I believe the U.S. has the right to refuse on the grounds of double jeopardy. Because if we let Knox be extradited back to Italy, then we set a precedent for any country with a halfass court system to haul away any American citizen from American soil on any pretense. They had their chance and they BLEW it. End of story.

can you say 'rodney king trial'?

The riots started on April 29 after a trial jury acquitted four Los Angeles Police Department officers of assault and use of excessive force. The mostly white officers were videotaped beating an African-American man named Rodney King following a high-speed police pursuit. Thousands of people throughout the metropolitan area in Los Angeles rioted over six days following the announcement of the verdict.[1]


After the riots subsided significant actions were undertaken in the Los Angeles Police Department including the retrial of the police officers involved, increasing minority officers in the police department, analyzing excessive force, resignation of the police chief, loss of support for the Mayor of Los Angeles, and analyzing the general political and economic atmosphere that contributed to the riots.

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[wolfriverjoe 1,340]

skypuppy

can you say 'rodney king trial'?

The riots started on April 29 after a trial jury acquitted four Los Angeles Police Department officers of assault and use of excessive force. The mostly white officers were videotaped beating an African-American man named Rodney King following a high-speed police pursuit. Thousands of people throughout the metropolitan area in Los Angeles rioted over six days following the announcement of the verdict.[1]


After the riots subsided significant actions were undertaken in the Los Angeles Police Department including the retrial of the police officers involved, increasing minority officers in the police department, analyzing excessive force, resignation of the police chief, loss of support for the Mayor of Los Angeles, and analyzing the general political and economic atmosphere that contributed to the riots.

Well, technically, the officers weren't retried for the assault and use of excessive force. They were tried under federal law for violation of RK's civil rights.

A nifty little loophole in the double jeopardy rules.

I don't agree with it, and I actually do side with the cops in the incident. If you look at the entire video, not just the couple of minutes shown all over the news, it is pretty clear that RK is resisting arrest and that the cops aren't just beating him for the fun of it, they are trying to subdue him.

Interestingly, that incident caused a rather dramatic revision of the "Escalation of Force" procedures.
These days, instead of continuing to use nightsticks on him to little or no effect, they would just shoot him.
If the level of force being used isn't resulting in compliance, then they escalate.

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[lawrocket 3]

Quote

Thousands of people throughout the metropolitan area in Los Angeles rioted over six days following the announcement of the verdict

Tom's my homeboy - I grew up 5 miles from him. We lived through those riots. Not something we'll forget easily.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[skypuppy 1]

lawrocket

Quote

Thousands of people throughout the metropolitan area in Los Angeles rioted over six days following the announcement of the verdict

Tom's my homeboy - I grew up 5 miles from him. We lived through those riots. Not something we'll forget easily.

Not saying the riots were forgettable. But the point is, the officers were subjected to a second trial after being acquitted, just because some people made a stink...

If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

[rehmwa 2]

Liemberg

Why would you think a black displaced economic / political male refugee would be much more likely to kill a young white woman than an american ingenué - that is into the music of Schubert, for crying out loud? And rewarding the true killer (you know, boring physical evidence) with a reduced sentence also doesn't do much for truth-finding usually but hey - they invented law in Rome, so they must know a few things.

NEVER TALK TO THE POLICE.

especially if you have to adress them in a foreign language...

That 'double jeopardy' thing you have over there across the water is something that is lacking in several European legal systems. Then again, we are not in the habbit of executing convicted killers - even repeated ones. ..

nicely done - pretty much every simple minded smug PC cliche all written up in a single post. it's a work of art

for the children

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[quade 3]

davjohns

All over the news today.

Really not sure why 99.999% of people should care. Is it because she's pretty? I honestly can't think of any other plausible reason.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[davjohns 1]

I couldn't tell you. The monitor that my desk faces has CNN International on it. Maybe the human interest coupled with the international implications?

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.

[Andy9o8 0]

davjohns

I couldn't tell you. The monitor that my desk faces has CNN International on it. Maybe the human interest coupled with the international implications?

That's a pretty fancy name for "hot chick goes wild".

[davjohns 1]

Eh. A couple of weeks ago, they kept running a piece about a UK Football (soccer) player who got a haircut. Apparently it had not been cut in two years because he swore he wouldn't cut it until he scored a goal. I guess he scored a goal. They kept showing video of the haircut.

I guess there was no interesting legislation, war, or famine that day.

I know it just wouldnt be right to kill all the stupid people that we meet..

But do you think it would be appropriate to just remove all of the warning labels and let nature take its course.