Amanda Knox's convction was overturned.

[Graybrew1]

I just heard this. Any thoughts from our Global community on this?

 

[Overmind One]

I just heard this. Any thoughts from our Global community on this?

I know you said international...but who is Amanda Cox and what was she convicted of?

 

[Graybrew1]

I know you said international...but who is Amanda Cox and what was she convicted of?

Oh, Sorry. She was american student studying abroad in Italy who was convicted of killing her British roommate. They over turned the conviction today.

 

[Illiterati]

I was pleased as punch to hear that the jury came back with this today.

The Italian court was much more interested in convicting an American girl of this terrible crime than actually paying attention to evidence which exonerated her.

 

[Graybrew1]

I was pleased as punch to hear that the jury came back with this today.

The Italian court was much more interested in convicting an American girl of this terrible crime than actually paying attention to evidence which exonerated her.

Indeed, I heard that the trial was a joke and they had no real DNA evidence at all.

 

[Bluce Ree]

I was pleased as punch to hear that the jury came back with this today.

The Italian court was much more interested in convicting an American girl of this terrible crime than actually paying attention to evidence which exonerated her.

Remember when carrying an American passport used to earn you admiration and respect around the world?

 

[Graybrew1]

Remember when carrying an American passport used to buy you admiration and respect around the world?

Well they said she was caught lying to the cops. But the DNA evidence was not valid and so the conviction was overturned.

 

[SciphonicStranger]

Remember when carrying an American passport used to earn you admiration and respect around the world?

When exactly was that?

 

[Bluce Ree]

Well they said she was caught lying to the cops. But the DNA evidence was not valid and so the conviction was overturned.

Sometimes, the state is just too arrogant to admit fault and are too thirsty for blood.

Troy Davis was convicted of killing a police officer. He was convicted on shaky testimony and circumstantial evidence yet, somehow, that proved beyond the shadow of a single doubt that the man needed to be executed. During a later evidentiary hearing, 7 witnesses recanted their testimony saying they were coerced by police and two pointed the finger at one of the other witnesses, saying he was the guilty one. It may not have proven his innocence but it did cast enough doubt to question whether the man really should be put to death. He may have had ample time to prove his innocence, as some would say, but he didn't have the financing to hire a dream team.

 

[Graybrew1]

Sometimes, the state is just too arrogant to admit fault and are too thirsty for blood.

Troy David was convicted of killing a police officer. He was convicted on shaky testimony and circumstantial evidence yet, somehow, that proved beyond the shadow of a single doubt that the man needed to be executed. During a later evidentiary hearing, 7 witnesses recanted their testimony saying they were coerced by police and two pointed the finger at one of the other witnesses, saying he was the guilty one. It may not have proven his innocence but it did cast enough doubt to question whether the man really should be put to death. He may have had ample time to prove his innocence, as some would say, but he didn't have the financing to hire a dream team.

That is soooo sad. Poor man.

 

[Rac80]

I was pleased as punch to hear that the jury came back with this today.

The Italian court was much more interested in convicting an American girl of this terrible crime than actually paying attention to evidence which exonerated her.

Yep the italian court system has me worried...they allow infinite jeopardy so she needs to leave the country. And remember they are the ones putting seismologists on trial for not predicting an earthquake.
http://www.gatefans.net/forums/show...manslaughter-for-not-predicting-an-earthquake!

Sometimes, the state is just too arrogant to admit fault and are too thirsty for blood.

Troy David was convicted of killing a police officer. He was convicted on shaky testimony and circumstantial evidence yet, somehow, that proved beyond the shadow of a single doubt that the man needed to be executed. During a later evidentiary hearing, 7 witnesses recanted their testimony saying they were coerced by police and two pointed the finger at one of the other witnesses, saying he was the guilty one. It may not have proven his innocence but it did cast enough doubt to question whether the man really should be put to death. He may have had ample time to prove his innocence, as some would say, but he didn't have the financing to hire a dream team.

Troy Davis (i assume that is who you meant )had appeal after appeal listened to through various court levels all the way to the supreme court...it took twenty years for his sentence to be carried out, I don't feel sorry for him...I feel for the family of the police officer that he killed....Mark McPhail was a police officer and father of 2 young children. he had served his country in the military prior to becoming a police officer, he was off duty and saw a homeles man being beaten and went to help. He was murdered for his kindness. He never drew his gun, he was shot twice in the heart and once in the face. His family has had to suffer for twenty years. Davis was identified as the murderer. he appealed to the state courts and the federal courts. Things went so far that the supreme court ordered a federal court to investigate. some of the the people who recanted were unwilling to repeat their recantations in the federal court...so how real and valid were they?

sorry the law school held a seminar on this case a couple of months ago.....IMHO the man deserved his sentence.

 

[Graybrew1]

According to the news, The Italians are allowed to take her to one more level only. But the amount of time it will take them to file an order preventing her to leave the country will take to long to prevent her from leaving. If it was my kid, she would be on a plane an hour after jail. I would max out my credit cards and mortgage my house if I had to. I would be willing to bet she will be back on American soil by the morning, or at the very least the frak out of Italy and will never go back. If I were her, no layovers in England either.

Was he guilty or not?
If witneses were recanting, how do they know that he did it or not?

 

[Bluce Ree]

Yep the italian court system has me worried...they allow infinite jeopardy so she needs to leave the country. And remember they are the ones putting seismologists on trial for not predicting an earthquake.
http://www.gatefans.net/forums/show...manslaughter-for-not-predicting-an-earthquake!



Troy Davis (i assume that is who you meant )had appeal after appeal listened to through various court levels all the way to the supreme court...it took twenty years for his sentence to be carried out, I don't feel sorry for him...I feel for the family of the police officer that he killed....Mark McPhail was a police officer and father of 2 young children. he had served his country in the military prior to becoming a police officer, he was off duty and saw a homeles man being beaten and went to help. He was murdered for his kindness. He never drew his gun, he was shot twice in the heart and once in the face. His family has had to suffer for twenty years. Davis was identified as the murderer. he appealed to the state courts and the federal courts. Things went so far that the supreme court ordered a federal court to investigate. some of the the people who recanted were unwilling to repeat their recantations in the federal court...so how real and valid were they?

sorry the law school held a seminar on this case a couple of months ago.....IMHO the man deserved his sentence.

Yeah, I meant Davis. I hit the "d' right next to the "s" by accident.

I can't argue with you on the details of the case because I've only started familiarizing myself with it. From what I've read so far, though, there was nothing linking him directly to the murder other than "eye-witness" testimony but there was plenty that could cast even a smidgen of doubt.

When Casey Anthony goes free with everything that was dumped on the courtroom floor but Troy Davis gets lethal injection for shaky testimony and circumstantial evidence, I gotta cry foul.

 

[Tropicana]

While I respect fellow American members here and their views that Knox was innocent. I personally think she and Sollecito are guilty and the prosecutors totally messed up the evidence and suffice to say - Italian and Portugal's judiciary system is a joke. If Kercher's family are going to appeal this decision of letting Knox and Sollecito go, they are going to have many supporters.

 

[Bluce Ree]

While I respect fellow American members here and their views that Knox was innocent. I personally think she and Sollecito are guilty and the prosecutors totally messed up the evidence and suffice to say - Italian and Portugal's judiciary system is a joke. If Kercher's family are going to appeal this decision of letting Know and Sollecito go, they are going to have many supporters.

Our court system sucks but we still own fashion and food, so, you're guaranteed to show up in court looking sharp and well fed.

 

[Graybrew1]

While I respect fellow American members here and their views that Knox was innocent. I personally think she and Sollecito are guilty and the prosecutors totally messed up the evidence and suffice to say - Italian and Portugal's judiciary system is a joke. If Kercher's family are going to appeal this decision to let them go, they are going to have many supporters.

If she is guilty of course she should be punished. But they said the DNA evidence was wrong. I am assuming she is innocent.
Same goes for the other guy, if he was guilty he deserved to punished. I did not follow that case at all.

 

[Tropicana]

This article says it all -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/oct/03/amanda-knox-verdict-reaction-seattle


One word: disgusting.

But then, if I was an American and my belief system was protecting one of our own, then yeah, I can see where they are coming from, just wish like us Brits, they would show a little humility.

 

[Graybrew1]

I think the idea of a book deal is disgusting even if she is innocent. Now she will profit from the death of her friend. I don't like that at all.
But as I said, if she was innocent and Guede did break in and kill her than I am glad, if she was guilty then that does suck.

 

[Tropicana]

That says it all about her character - I wouldn't mind writing a book and profit from my dead "best" friend and prison experience-mentality.

Typical planet, the good guys pay the ultimate price while the bad guys take all the credit.

 

[Bluce Ree]

[...]

Troy Davis (i assume that is who you meant )had appeal after appeal listened to through various court levels all the way to the supreme court...it took twenty years for his sentence to be carried out, I don't feel sorry for him...I feel for the family of the police officer that he killed....Mark McPhail was a police officer and father of 2 young children. he had served his country in the military prior to becoming a police officer, he was off duty and saw a homeles man being beaten and went to help. He was murdered for his kindness. He never drew his gun, he was shot twice in the heart and once in the face. His family has had to suffer for twenty years. Davis was identified as the murderer. he appealed to the state courts and the federal courts. Things went so far that the supreme court ordered a federal court to investigate. some of the the people who recanted were unwilling to repeat their recantations in the federal court...so how real and valid were they?

sorry the law school held a seminar on this case a couple of months ago.....IMHO the man deserved his sentence.

Not exactly. The defense never called on the witnesses who had recanted, despite their presence in the courthouse, and their affidavits were given little weight by the judge. They weren't unwilling to testify.

The thing about Troy Davis is you had a plethora of influential people all calling for a new trial or evidentiary hearing. When you have people like the head of the FBI, a judge, a former president and a congressman all doubting the evidence presented, it says something about the case.

When you get this from a judge:

During the hearing, judge Joel Dubina commented: "As bad as it would be to execute an innocent man, it's also possible the real guilty person who shot Officer MacPhail is not being prosecuted.

You have to wonder whether there is any shred of doubt because, if you're going to execute someone, you'd better be damned sure there isn't a hair of doubt that he did it.