Amanda Knox posted a pic in her old Prison Garb

We covered the Amanda Knox case so extensively back in the day that I feel compelled to share when she pops up in the news. Knox was wrongfully convicted in Italy, and later exonerated, and has become an advocate for criminal justice. She’s getting married in a few weeks, and is stressing about the wedding planning.

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New Amanda Knox Biopic is Out

Amanda Knox

Reelz has produced a new Amanda Knox biopic, as part of their show “Scandals Made Me Famous.” It aired for the first time over the weekend, but I just saw the ad. They claim to have some new reveals on the Kercher case, so it may be worth a watch, even if the show is on the tabloid end of the spectrum. They appear to be very critical of the police investigation that lead to her wrongful arrest and conviction, which was overturned. I’m sure it will air again.

And as a reminded, there is a documentary on Netflix that includes conversations with not only Knox, but the prosecutor and other important players.

The Amanda Knox Documentary is now on Netflix

The documentary about Amanda Knox, and the case of the murder of Meredith Kercher, is no streaming on Netflix.

Amanda Knox Documentary to be Released on Netflix

Amanda Knox

At the end of the month, Netflix is going to release a documentary on the murder of Meredith Kerchner, and the subsequent prosecutions of Amanda Knox, Rafaelle Sollecito, and Rudy Guede. Knox and Sollecito’s convictions were ultimately overturned last year, and they were acquitted. Guede was separately convicted for the murder, and his convictions remains in effect.

Crimcourts has covered the Knox case extensively, it was an international media sensation that “Foxy Knoxy”, an American student in Perugia, was accused of a horrific murder of her roommate. This was coupled with allegations of a sexual nature, most of which were not based in any fact. The prosecutor who propounded these theories, also will appear in the documentary. It will be worth checking out.

For more on the Knox case, check out our Knox Archive.

Italy’s Highest Court Explains Amanda Knox’s Acquittal

Amanda Knox

Italy’s highest court, the Court of Cassation, issued their formal written explanation of the decision acquitting Amanda Knox. The court strongly criticized the shortcomings of the investigation, attacking the case for “glaring errors,” and said the lower court trial had “oscillations which were the result of stunning flaws, or amnesia.” As we have stated before on Crimcourts, elements of the prosecution’s case was based on pure fantasy (there was nothing to support an orgy), the government relied on evidence so unreliable that it would not have been admitted in American courts, and the appellate court that reinstated the conviction did so on a completely new theory that had not been even argued by the prosecution. The court’s ruling was an indictment on the system that was driven by media, and of the media, as well.

This ruling is the final closure on the Knox case, and the final determination that she was innocent of these horrible crimes.

See our full coverage of the Knox case.

Amanda Knox Acquitted by Italian Court

Amanda Knox at Her Trial

After years and convictions and appeals and overturns, Amanda Knox’s legal saga in Italy appears to be over. Italy’s Supreme Court yesterday ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to support a conviction for Ms. Knox or her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito. This, finally, ends the court process for them. The actual killer, Rudy Guede, was separately convicted, and is about halfway through a 16-year-sentence for the murders.

I didn’t get to post this yesterday, when it was released after hours. I will try to spend some time on it at some point in the future. If you would like some basic reasoning why I am not surprised, review some of our past coverage on Crimcourts, in particular, my reaction to the previous decision reinstating the convictions for an entirely novel reason. The Italian court will release the reasoning for its decision in about 90 days.

Amanda Knox Decision Pushed to Friday

Italian courts wanted more time to review the Knox appeal, and have continued the hearing until Friday, when a decision is expected. CNN is citing international law expert M. Cherif Bassiouni who believes that even if the verdict is upheld, she won’t be subject to extradition by the United States.

Amanda Knox Decision May be Issued Soon

It is expected the Italian courts will rule on Amanda Knox’s case today. They could uphold the decision, or demand a new trial. The Wall Street Journal gives a pretty succinct evaluation of possible extradition scenarios. For more on the history of the case, please refer to our extensive coverage.

Amanda Knox Decision may be Issued Tomorrow

Amanda Knox

Italy’s high court may issue an order on the Amanda Knox case as early as tomorrow. The Italian Court of Cassation is expected to rule Wednesday and may order a new appellate trial for Knox and/or her then boyfriend Rafaelle Sollecito, or it may chose to uphold the previous decision reinstating the guilty verdicts. The public opinion in Italy seems to be very much in favor of conviction, though the evidence is specious at best. Review our coverage on Crimcourts, as we have highlighted flaws in the evidence, much of which would not have even been admissible under American standards of evidence. The appellate decision reinstating the verdict is laughable under the standards of jurisprudence here.

Regardless of the decision tomorrow, the legal saga is far from over. If the verdicts are upheld, there will be an extensive debate and possible drawn out fight over extradition. If a new trial is ordered, the courts will revisit the evidence yet again.

The New Amanda Knox Verdict is Ridiculous. WTF Italy?

The reinstatement of the guilty verdict in the trial for the murder of Meredith Kercher in Perugia came down several weeks ago. American Amanda Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted, then acquitted, then retried and have now been re-convicted for the 2007 slaying of Kercher, who had been Knox’s roommate. Here’s what’s bizarre about the conviction: the court declined to believe the prosecutor’s argument that the murder occurred during a sex-game gone wrong. Instead, they came up with an entirely novel theory of the case, that Knox had killed Kercher over a dispute about the rent.

WTF, Italy?

The court, in its decision, rejected the the prosecutor’s theory of the case. But, they still found her guilty. To do so, they still relied upon the worst of the government’s evidence, the discredited DNA evidence, and MADE UP a new theory about what happened out of thin air. The capper is that the court found that Knox delivered the fatal blow with one knife, which does not match the imprints at the scene. He then finds that Sollecito also cut the victim with a different knife, which has never been found or put into evidence. The judge is literally making stuff up. He invented a two-knife theory to try to make his ruling fit the facts.

I have long attacked the sex-game theory wildly imaginative and wholly lacking in credibility. But that’s what they were trying to prove at trial. How can a reasonable court reject that and find her guilty on a theory that not only did they not try to prove, but one that also is lacking in ANY actual, physical evidence.

Knox has spoken since the ruling, and she’s exactly right on one point: it is really a simple case. Rudy Guede, a drifter from out of the country, raped and killed her. He had a separate trial, where he was convicted of raping and murdering her. He allegedly committed some other break-ins around that time, also armed with a knife. After the murder, he fled the country, and was later caught in Germany. His fingerprints, DNA, and other implicating evidence at the scene, let to his conviction. He blamed the murder on a shadowy Italian man, but his claim was rejected.

That should be the end of the case. But political issues, personalities, and media coverage have driven the prosecution of Knox and Sollecito. The original prosecutor on the case has a history of wild sexual allegations: he was later convicted of abuse of office, though that conviction was overturned. It’s like they let Nancy Grace be the prosecutor and the jury.

Ironically, I like that the Italian courts issue documentation of their reasoning for verdicts. Every lawyer who practices in this country has experienced verdicts, and even judicial rulings, that are incongruous and baffling. However, when the court issues its ruling, and the reasoning proves to be just as baffling, it makes you shake your head. The death of Meredith Kercher is a tragedy, one for which the killer has already been held responsible. The courts do not honor her memory by politically driven, poorly reasoned and specious prosecutions.