I find some of the comments made today by American nationals to be incredible. Remember when they were calling the French names because they wouldn't take part in the illegal war? They are doing the same with the Italians now. If these people don't think that they will get a fair trial under the European jury system then they may understand why I don't think Gary McKinnon will get a fair trial under their corrupt, money based, cruel and unusual punishment type judicial system.
(How's that for linkage?)

I'm wary of sterotyping here, but there has been a long, deep-seated suspicion among many Americans that they won't get a fair trial abroad. This suspicion goes right to the top (I think it even influences the Constitution), and it's why the extradition treaty being used against Gary McKinnon doesn't apply both ways.


I have been rather bemused by the claims of some in the US that Knox was the victim of anti-Americanism - they don't seem to have noticed that an Italian was convicted alongside her...

I'm attempting irony  rather poorly perhaps.

He doesn't get mentioned anywhere near as much, does he?   I'm concerned that all this so-called prejudiced information might lead to the guilty parties being released due to perceived unfairness.

Strange that the black guy involved was convicted ages ago and got the longer sentence too.Ahem.

He opted for a 'fast track' trial, apparently, according to that wiki article quoted above.

Knox and Sollecito got (slightly) shorter sentences because of their age and the fact that they had no previous convictions. Guede was already known as a drug-dealer and thief.


As fabienne says, Guede excercised his right to a "fast-track" trial (a peculiarity of the Italian system). He chose to be tried separately because he was worried that Knox and Sollecito would gang-up on him.

The Italian judicial system has had to deal with the threats (sadly, often realized) of the Mafia. I don't think they'll be swayed by pressure from the States.


Actually, the greatest pressure appears to have come from Sollecito's (apparently very well-connected) family. There have been allegations that they have already tried to influence proceedings: see http://www.guardian.co.uk/worl...y.internationalcrime.

That's scary, Eugene's Lair. It's horrible to think that these behind-the-scenes happenings could result in the culprits being released. 

Sorry I messed up my quote of your post above.  I tried to edit, but couldn't do it.

I was thinking about all of this earlier ... & if you think about it if all 3 of them were at that house when Meredith was murdered, they know what happened but I'm surprised they didn't divide and spill the beans on each other. And I also think, if I was in a house where my female housemate was in a bedroom with her boyfriend and I heard her screaming ... I'd definitely go to see if everything was ok .... I wouldn't sit in the kitchen covering my ears ..... Someone knows the truth.

I know exactly what you're saying but ......................things can happen so quickly .......how long does it take to stick a knife in someone? Seconds and suddenly all hell and mayhem breaks loose. I'll be honest I haven't followed this case closely but I do know that life changing things can happen in a split second ..........when it's drink and drug fuelled it all becomes a bit unreal. i just feel desperately sorry for the victim and her family ..............this case has received masses of media coverage but .............things like this (drug/drink induced crime) happen far too often.

I think she's guilty. The first thing she did was try to drop some other bloke in the frame - a barman who turned out to have a watertight alibi and couldn't have been there. Not the actions of an innocent person, IMO.

Her family are the pits - they're claiming her trial wasn't fair, and behaving as if Italy is some third-world country where they know nothing about justice. Like American high-profile trials aren't complete show events, with massive media attention and speculation..

I agree, and I don't know the feeling I get when I see her is she is a bit distant, gut feeling says they got it right with the guilty verdict

I think she's downright weird, and having seen her family being interviewed, I can see where she gets it from.

Remember a few things here, from the American side.

The media are not going to show you any people that say "alright then, she had her day in court" as they don't make any money doing that. They work to spawn controversy and that is what you'll see. Controversy is good for the media as it gives them something to talk about and makes money.

And note who is not saying a word in all of this? The US government. If there were serious issues in all of this they'd be on it like flies. Instead our Secretary of State mentioned on ABC's "This Week" that she has not expressed any concerns to the Italian government and has not looked into the case.  The state Senator that represents the locale of Washington state that Amanda is from will surely raise some noise about the "Anti-Americanism" that tainted the trial, but she has to if she wants to get re-elected.

She did it,and helped her "boyfriend"  Bloody American arrogance that  they know better than any judicial system on the planet.Well we know how flawed that is!

With respect, Dave, that's just silly. What "anti-Americanism"? Her nationality had nothing to do with it, she was convicted alongside an Italian and an African. But it seems certain Americans (not all) think it's only them who are allowed to dish "justice" out to the rest of the world, not vice versa.

To be fair to Dave, it's all about perceived, rather than real, "anti-Americanism".

It's simply in the interest of certain groups to feed that perception. I doubt whether many of them actually believe it's real: the US journalists who actually attended the trial certainly don't, but you wouldn't think that from most of the reports.


As Dave says, it suits the press, because it sells. It suits local politicians because it gives the impression that they care about their constituants without actually having to do anything. Dave's point about Hilary Clinton is a good one: she won't question the case publicly because she knows that she'd then have to deal with the Italians and that's where the buck would stop and she'd have to address the facts (something which the Senator doesn't have to do).


Most of all: claims of anti-Americanism suits Knox's suporters, because it allows them to explain the court's verdict without having to properly address all the evidence. Personally, I think it's a mistake, because both Knox's alibi and alleged motive are tied to Sollecito, and that's where any anti-American claims fall apart...

Fair enough - apologies to Dave.
But I think it's Knox's parents, supporters and local senator who have been whipping up most of the "anti-American" claims - the media has just given them a platform. The Knoxes have given dozens of interviews all the way through this case and love being in the spotlight - in contrast, the Kercher family have kept a dignified low profile.
Curt Knox has been banging on about how his daughter shouldn't be in a "foreign" jail (why not? Aren't foreigners kept in American ones?) and the family have even said she should have fled to relatives in Germany after Meredith's death, because they believe she wouldn't have been extradited from there. Actions of an innocent person? Hmmmm...
I bet they're hoping if they raise enough of a row with senior US politicians, Obama will send in a Marines crack squad to get her out.