Amanda Knox freed

[Deleted]

A lot of european country's law code developed from a guilt until proven innocent philosophy. While most are functionally innocent until proven guilty, it's not as core of an ideal as it is in others.

Name one single country that has this system in Europe.

Britain as an example, its highest civil freedom is you are always innocent until proven guilty.

[Magisleeper]

I honestly dont understand why this is a big story, so an american was arrested and jailed in another country for murder, and an appeals court found her innocent..

So.. she writes a book about it or something and cashes out, can we move on now?

[Kaneiac]

Personally I believe she was guilty, they're picking apart the DNA evidence.

That said, like a person above... Innocent until proven guilty,
my gut says she's guilty, but if it can't be proven and the country's justice system says she is innocent then she is, unless its ever proven otherwise.

Four years in prison though if she is innocent, ouch.. Court case for damages will probably happen within a few months.

Well, she had 3 years for defamation of character - so she only really spent 1 extra year in prison. Her lawyers are getting her set and she will be heading to the US tonight.

[Schattenlied]

There was no solid evidence that either of them committed the crime, there was actually more conclusive evidence that Guede did it. So I agree with her being freed.

[Siri]

Name one single country that has this system in Europe.

Britain as an example, its highest civil freedom is you are always innocent until proven guilty.

He said it developed from that system, not that it is what they use now.

[Relentless]

Honestly, I think it was turned into a media blitz not just because someone was convicted on weak or faulty evidence (that happens all the time), but because it was a pretty girl. Casey Anthony's case got the same sort of attention because it's easy to get someone to click a link with a pretty girl attached to it. That's why we have so many damn celebrities that are famous for nothing. They drive clicks and clicks = cash.

[Deleted]

He said it developed from that system, not that it is what they use now.

Missed the developed part .

Maybe, but you'll have to go back a long way to find the guilty until proven innocent. Still don't believe many countries had this though I could be wrong (unless you go back to the Dark Ages/Tudors etc where frankly it was just a free for all).

[Krekko]

So what have we learned in 2011?

If you are a cute girl you can get away with murder. (see also Casey Anthony) and minorities die even when most of the original witnesses retract thier story and say they are innocent.

YAY justice!!!

OJ was a cute girl amirite


This has NOTHING to do with "being a cute girl".

These two trials had not enough sufficient evidence to convict them, so the charges were acquitted.

"INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY"

If the prosecution fails to provide proper and compelling evidence in the case, linking and proving said persons to the murder, then they should be let free. That is our justisce system working as it meant to. It would be a FAILURE if we went off of "Oh but I think she did it, and it's quite clear she did it, they just didn't prove she did it".

[xile]

So what have we learned in 2011?

If you are a cute girl you can get away with murder. (see also Casey Anthony) and minorities die even when most of the original witnesses retract thier story and say they are innocent.

YAY justice!!!

YEAH! We should totally start convicting people on barely any evidence and listen to the media for their sad attempts at sensationalizing of a court case! Ppl amaze me sometimes.

[Maharishi]

I had no idea... what countries would that be?

I am by no means an expert, and I want to reitterate i'm not trying to say they aren't functionally innocent until proven guilty. However italy's judicial system was initally influenced heavily by both

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Juris_Civilis

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_code

Both of which give the burden of proof to the defendant. Obviously modern systems are much better, just food for thought.

[Penatar]

There was basically NO evidence. She was convicted because an Italian jury wanted to punish a pretty American girl who was acting stupid in their country. It was sad.

Pretty? I'm sure they could find better looking Americans under rocks if they wanted to.

[Kakokun]

So what have we learned in 2011?

If you are a cute girl you can get away with murder. (see also Casey Anthony) and minorities die even when most of the original witnesses retract thier story and say they are innocent.

YAY justice!!!

A system where you convict people even though there's little to no proof that they did it because you gotta have someone take the blame anyway is so much better right?

[haxartus]

A system where you convict people even though there's little to no proof that they did it because you gotta have someone take the blame anyway is so much better right?

That's why we have multiple courts in Europe.
If the normal court is wrong about something, you can appeal to a higher court.

[Yossarian]

There was basically NO evidence. She was convicted because an Italian jury wanted to punish a pretty American girl who was acting stupid in their country. It was sad.

loooool

do you really think she was convicted because american? and the italian guy also convicted it's because the italian jury wanted to punish an italian guy?

[Deleted]

I am by no means an expert, and I want to reitterate i'm not trying to say they aren't functionally innocent until proven guilty. However italy's judicial system was initally influenced heavily by both

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Juris_Civilis

and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleonic_code

Both of which give the burden of proof to the defendant. Obviously modern systems are much better, just food for thought.

Thanks for the links, food for thought indeed.. Glad to know that the British legal system wasn't influenced by the Napoleonic code, seems that a few countries were though (British legal system is based on the common law which has in turn migrated to the former empire).

--
I don't think she was freed due to her being a pretty girl or punished because she was an American, I think that argument is just as bad as the "OMG IT WAS A SEX GAME GONE WRONG!" one used by the prosecution for some of the trials.
She's walked free, hopefully the media will leave her alone for a while but knowing what the media is like they probably won't.

[Korenah]

Wouldn't surprise me if it goes on yet another appeal to whatever the highest court is in Italy. At any rate, she definitely ain't gonna be freed anytime soon.

Wrong. She is free. She was found guilty of slander and she has time served. She is literally being released as we type

[Facepalmer3]

From Wiki:
The murder of Meredith Kercher occurred in Perugia, Italy, on 1 November 2007. Kercher, aged 21 at the time of her death, was a British university exchange student from Coulsdon, South London. She shared an upstairs flat with three other young women. She was sexually assaulted and stabbed, and property belonging to her was stolen.
Rudy Guede, a resident of Perugia, was convicted on 28 October 2008 of the sexual assault and murder of Kercher. His fast-track conviction was upheld, and he is now serving a reduced sentence of 16 years. Raffaele Sollecito, an Italian student, and Amanda Knox, an American[1] student and a flatmate of Kercher, were convicted of sexual assault and murder in a separate trial on 4 December 2009. They were given sentences of 25 and 26 years respectively. Knox and Sollecito appealed the Court's ruling and were acquitted by the Italian appeals court on 3 October 2011... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Meredith_Kercher

The real culprit was already found guilty of her death. I thank God Amanda - an innocent being- was found not guilty!

[deathlink]

Surprised.. but i felt all along she wasn't guilty... i also thought that other psycho who killed her beautiful child wasnt either... (wont name her)

[Nathiest]

I've haven't been this happy in years. I am so thrilled for Amanda Knox!

[Korenah]

I don't really understand why it was such a big story. Sexual assault and murder, ok. It happens. What made this one so special?

I believe the "special" came from the fact that an American young woman was completely at the mercy of a foreign judicial system and if you had been watching this from the start or even done a little research you would see how there was basically only circumstantial evidence..and that is just to start with what made this so "special" of a case.