Amanda Knox ~ double jeopardy?

Thu., Jan. 23, 2014

Raffaele Sollecito, right, talks with his father father Francesco at the Florence court, Italy, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2013. The defense lawyer for the former boyfriend of U.S. exchange student Amanda Knox told an appeals court Thursday that the young lovers were blamed by authorities for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher to calm any fears that a monster was loose in their Italian university town. Defender Giulia Bongiorno said her client, Raffaele Sollecito, and Knox were identified as suspects in a "record" four days after the murder in the picturesque central town of Perugia because authorities "did not want to think that a stranger, a monster, could have entered a house and murdered a student." (Riccardo Sanesi / Presl)

Catherine Johnston

Amanda’s life must seem like an intermittent nightmare. Another round of decision s about her guilt or innocence awaits. Murder charges, again, and slander, too, will be reviewed.

The prosecutor wants to increase time for the slander conviction from three years to six years. Amanda and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, have already served four years in prison when their conviction was overturned by an appeals court in 2011.

A panel of eight jurors and two judges begins deliberations January 30. If convicted again, will the U.S extradite Amanda? One opinion says no, since U.S. law does not try someone twice for the same crime, it is unlikely that the U.S. government would assist in Amanda’s return to Italy.

The legal system in that Renaissance land remains confusing and corrupt, double jeopardy.

(S-R photo: Raffaele Sollecito, right, talks with his father father Francesco at the Florence court, Italy, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2013.)

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "EndNotes." Read all stories from this blog