The recent trial of Amanda Knox has highlighted serious flaws in the Italian legal system ranging from shoddy investigatory standards to sentence aggravators based on defense arguments (implication other parties) to criminal penalties for defaming the police or prosecution. While we often discuss the flaws in our own system, the Knox litigation has been an embarrassment of legal process. However, the system does apparently police misconduct by judges in public statements, an area of recurring concerns in this country by justices and http://jonathanturley.org/2013/05/07/judge-in-casey-anthony-case-publicly-proclaims-his-belief-in-her-guilt-and-dishes-on-case/ alike. Florence judge Alessandro Nencini made comments after the trial on the defendants and defense strategy that has triggered not only an investigation but raised new defense arguments for reversal.
Nencini was the presiding judge on a panel that upheld the guilty verdict of the original trial court for both Knox, 26, and her ex-boyfriend.
Italy’s justice minister Annamaria Cancellieri announced an investigation into the comments by Nencini about the decision of Knox’s former boyfriend not to testify as well as difficulties with the evidentiary record. Nencini is now the subject of demands for an investigation by the defense team, the Justice Minister and even members of the magistrate’s governing body over the breach of secrecy and professional ethics.
Among Nencini’s comments to the Corriere della Sera and il Messaggero newspapers was that statement that “[t]he ability not to be heard in a trial is a right, but it deprives the subject of a voice.” Nencini has apologized for what were “casual” comments.
The words still pale in comparison to such controversies as the one involving the judge in the Casey Anthony case.
Let’s see the polygraph results. After we quantify her honesty, this becomes an international incident. I, for one, am sick of the new, sissified America. Where’s Patton when you need him? What the hell did we build and maintain that nuclear arsenal for? Italy has a perfect target…the locus of most of the American, ney, global child molestation: the Vatican. What if it were simply vaporized the day after the polygraph? Would that put some meaning and backbone to the word American? I’ll bet that would stop Italy from perpetrating crimes of kidnaping, abduction, rape, molestation and mental cruelty against Americans. For you environmentalists, I’ll bet the extremely competent American military could conduct the vaporization of the Vatican surgically with little or no collateral damage (remediation for a nominal fee) – certainly less than those Fukishima idiots and, well, what can you say, the Chernobyl rocket scientists (can you say redundancy?)? I’m all for the global ship of state having a resolute captain intent on obtaining spoils for the victors, his tribe and nation. We can eat all the pigs and cows but we can’t straighten out the freaks in Italy. It’s the way of the universe.
P.S. Have you noticed that China is building a nuclear arsenal? Whom do they intend to use that on? Maybe, instead of worrying about targeting another, we should worry about being targeted. Oh, yeah, it can NEVER happen here, right? America was built in the masculine and will die in the feminine…that’s better, right? Seriously, though, what are all those little Chinese men doing? America, be a man about it and stand up for Amanda Knox.
“Amanda Knox Posts Twitter Photo Saying ‘We Are Innocent'”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/12/amanda-knox-twitter-selfie_n_4774911.html?1392226716
https://twitter.com/amamaknox/status/433293146617688064/photo/1
As well as he should be…. It’s still more than just Amanda….. They are taking their frustration out on her….
Barking dog. Actually US Sentator Maria Cantwell, of Washington has taken up her cause and stated she would look into this. Hopefully she succeeds and unchaining Amanda.
She can make a claim that there was an acquittal in her case and then a new case for the same offense which is double jeopardy in our country. We discussed treaty law and how our Supreme Court held that a Constitutional argument sustainable in America would block an extradition.
The case gets a lot of press and maybe it should. The apCray about Amanda doing cartwheels needs to be discarded. Whoever her Congress person is, should be standing up for her now. The evidence is slim and none.
We need to clean-up our own terrible legal system first.
If you’ll look behind the facts of this case…. I think the Italians are sending a message to the US…. Two can play this game…. So no the Italians are taxing items shipped to US installations aimed at GIs….. I kid you not….. The Italians have asked that our bases be closed… In response to the US renditions in its country…..
My friends in Italy love the country, but hate the government. One said to me that he wished the Germans would take possession of the bankrupt nation, because the Italians could not be trusted to run it.
To me it is certainly clear Amanda and her ex-boyfriend got railroaded in this case. The entirety of the criminal justice case against her was complete miscarriage of justice.
My greatest worry for Amanda is that the U.S. Department will throw her under the bus for political reasons with the Italians, not respecting her constitutional rights. Hopefully she will fight extradition and win under sound legal rights articulated by the court.
Under the extradition treaty with Italy there is a clause where either party can deny extradition if the case against the acused is defective or a miscarriage of justice. That alone should be articulated by our government.
Our government cannot champion individual rights if it refuses to protect the rights of each individual.
I love Italy. Not the government so much.
What rafflaw said . . .
I take it that is her in a museum? Italy has problems too, but I’d sure like a Ducati. Or a Lamborghini. Or, even some spaghetti for lunch. come to think of it, I love Italy.
I wish someone would write a book about this case and I could get the Cliff Notes version.
Italy is a wonderful country to see; and there’s many a great person there. The difference in Italy is, it is slowly, but most assuredly, coming into a more civil and honest age. Money and power has always played a part there; but it has gotten much better.
Difference in our country, is the systems entrenched corrupt are much more subtle and understanding that “Gotti” types are not good for business (corrupt biz that is).
Just is for sale in America;
and arrogance/bad faith/ poor ethics abounds – GREATLY –
in our systems of justice!
Let me know when she does a porn video. Otherwise, this is a yawner for me.
Remind me to stay out of trouble in Italy. On second thought, remind me to stay out of Italy period.