Meredith Kercher murdered-Amanda Knox appeals conviction #15

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  • #921
I know it's boring but thanks for posting the results like this - makes it so much easier to read.

and remember, Alberto Intini, head of the Italian police forensic science unit, pointed out that unless contamination has been proved, it does not exist.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8601-500172_162-7167537-1.html?assetTypeId=30#ixzz1QpFqKmM9

That is truly frightening. As we've discussed, "proving" contamination is virtually impossible. The burden should be on the lab to prove its findings were free from contamination. Let's hope Intini was just talking off the top of his head.
 
  • #922
BBM ... which three items?

Do you think that because contamination cannot be ruled out, that it should be ruled in?

The Supreme Court has ruled that Guede did not act alone. That ruling was independent of the conviction of Knox and Sollecito. Guede has identified the pair as being present at the scene. Guede has nothing to gain by falsely accusing them, as his case is concluded.

I do not believe the evidence will evaporate because contamination cannot be ruled out so, as you say, there's another 30 things to appeal. Perhaps Knox and Sollecito can be released early without removing the conviction ... that would allow them to cash in on the notoriety and pay off their conviction related debt.

So based on this standard, any lab is free to declare its testing supports the prosecutor's theory, then destroy the testing samples and dare the defense to prove contamination. This should terrify each and every one of us!

otto, you swore up and down that Alessi should not be believed because he is a murderer. Guede is also a murderer, yet now you insist we accept his testimony as entirely credible.

In case you are wondering, yes, it is obvious you will say anything to make AK and RS appear guilty. (ETA: I should have said "take any position" not "say anything." "Say anything" sounds like I'm accusing otto of deliberately lying. That was not my intent and I am sorry I used wording that sounded as if it were.)
 
  • #923
Barbie Nadeau interviewed again ... doesn't sound like anyone is ready to give Knox a walk, with the best option being that she might get off on a technicality just like O.J.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/30/italy.knox.appeal/index.html

She'll be right up there with another guy that left no doubt in almost everyone's mind about guilt.

(... and no, it is not Nadeau that is comparing her to O.J.)

O.J. Simpson did not get off on a "technicality." He was acquitted of murder by a jury.
 
  • #924
From what has been repeated here, the report seems pretty definitive that it is not forensically sound to use either the results or the evidence to prosecute someone for murder. (It actually goes beyond reasonable doubt for me, to serious doubt). I did not have knowledge that the bra clasp, and the knife were being reviewed. After reviewing the Messai report, I came to the personal conclusion if I were a jury member that it would be those two pieces of evidence and the luminol footprints that would make me find a guilty verdict. That was accounting for the defense's explanation of why they could be tainted that was within the report. I will add that with the luminol footprints, the summary of why those could be refuted was not in enough depth for me, as I wanted to understand more comprehensively how luminol reacts to cleaning agents, orange juice etc.

The Messai report seemed to say (to me) that Filomena and the Postal Police's memory of the placement of the glass meant definitively that the break-in was staged. The rest of the evidence pointing to the staging was a buttressing of their eyewitness memory. I personally find a memory of glass placement, prior to knowing a murder took place, to be unreliable. The rest of the evidence went on like this, and I found the defense's explanation, within the Messai report to introduce reasonable doubt.

As I have said previously, if I am required by the courts to believe that the break-in was staged, then I would likely find them guilty as accessories, not as murderers.

emyr, the alleged staging was never investigated by a forensics expert. The only evidence for staging is the recollection of FR and a snap judgment by police officers at the scene. Photos of the scene do NOT support the recollections that significant quantities of broken glass were scattered on top of the room's contents.

To my knowledge, two bona fide experts have evaluated the break in: Ron Hendry and a ballistics expert hired by the defense. Both conclude the break in was real and not staged. Neither was allowed to testify.

(Rereading your post, I think you know all this. Sorry. I couldn't help repeating it.)
 
  • #925
That is truly frightening. As we've discussed, "proving" contamination is virtually impossible. The burden should be on the lab to prove its findings were free from contamination. Let's hope Intini was just talking off the top of his head.

Is that a bit like assuming that the lab is incompetent or guilty of something and expecting that they prove they are not?
 
  • #926
O.J. Simpson did not get off on a "technicality." He was acquitted of murder by a jury.

I didn't follow the case, but from what I'm hearing, it sounds like he got off because of alleged contamination - same scam being used in this case.
 
  • #927
Is that a bit like assuming that the lab is incompetent or guilty of something and expecting that they prove they are not?

No, because except in very rare cases, the lab is the only one who can prove it followed correct testing procedures. So it should be required to do so.

The burden of proof would shift only if people in the lab were accused of crimes, such as deliberately planting evidence. (And even then the burden would shift to the prosecuting entity, not to the defense in an affected trial.)
 
  • #928
I didn't follow the case, but from what I'm hearing, it sounds like he got off because of alleged contamination - same scam being used in this case.

I think you 'heard' right. I did follow the OJ case.
 
  • #929
I didn't follow the case, but from what I'm hearing, it sounds like he got off because of alleged contamination - same scam being used in this case.

That's still not what "technicality" means in American English. That term usually refers to a judge freeing a defendant (or more likely, throwing out key evidence) because some technical aspect of the law has been violated. Most common examples are failure to read a suspect his rights or some violation of the rules concerning the collection of evidence. (ETA it's very rare in real life, but all too common in American fiction (page or screen).)

But for the record, at least one O.J. Simpson juror said they all simply ignored the DNA evidence because it was too difficult to follow. You are certainly correct, however, that the defense tried to claim that Simpson's blood was planted by one of the original lead detectives, who for some reason carried a vial of Simpson's blood around in his pocket. Likewise, the defense also suggested the famous glove was planted by Mark Fuhrman.

So those accusations may have had an impact on jurors, but that isn't what we mean in the U.S. when we talk about "technicalities." (I can't speak for how English is used in British courtrooms.)
 
  • #930
I think you 'heard' right. I did follow the OJ case.
But this is different; in the OJ case, the evidence had been compromised by tampering, and they were asked to disregard ALL evidence; thus they had to acquit. NOT the same here; NOT a technicality at all, unless you simply WANT to believe this. No one said OJ ought never to have been a suspect in the first place, as in this case. :razz:
 
  • #931
But this is different; in the OJ case, the evidence had been compromised by tampering, and they were asked to disregard ALL evidence; thus they had to acquit. NOT the same here; NOT a technicality at all, unless you simply WANT to believe this. No one said OJ ought never to have been a suspect in the first place, as in this case. :razz:

I don't believe any tampering was ever proven in the Simpson case. Nor do I believe any took place.

An excellent defense team exploited each and every irregularity by LE, but even so they weren't able to prove tampering.
 
  • #932
There was no evidence of 'tampering'... only implied.
They were asked to disregard ALL evidence by the defense team.

Getting off for a gruesome double murder because one detective lied about saying the n-word... so nothing was believed that he said or did in the case AND another 'may have' mishandled some blood evidence IS a technicality in my eyes... razz or not!
 
  • #933
And to my knowledge, no expert has accused the Italian labs of deliberately tampering with evidence in the Knox/Sollecito case. Some of us posters may have said it wouldn't surprise us, but the basic issue is sloppiness by the lab, not intentional tampering with evidence.
 
  • #934
I don't believe any tampering was ever proven in the Simpson case. Nor do I believe any took place.

An excellent defense team exploited each and every irregularity by LE, but even so they weren't able to prove tampering.
Oh, then I do apologize. I really thought there had been tampering. Guess I was misinformed. :eek: Truly sorry.
 
  • #935
There was no evidence of 'tampering'... only implied.
They were asked to disregard ALL evidence by the defense team.

Getting off for a gruesome double murder because one detective lied about saying the n-word... so nothing was believed that he said or did in the case AND another 'may have' mishandled some blood evidence IS a technicality in my eyes... razz or not!

Okay, then. You use "technicality" in a very broad sense to mean any piece of evidence you decide is inconsequential.

The Simpson trial was a farce for a number of reasons. I don't know how you point to two factors and declare them the deciding ones. Famed prosecutor Vince Bugliosi wrote an entire book about how the case was lost and blamed it on none of the elements we've mentioned here.

He, for example, thought the glove fiasco was far more important than Fuhrman. All that "N" word stuff played great for the camera, but many people have pointed out that it is a word every black person (including jurors) has heard before.
 
  • #936
And to my knowledge, no expert has accused the Italian labs of deliberately tampering with evidence in the Knox/Sollecito case. Some of us posters may have said it wouldn't surprise us, but the basic issue is sloppiness by the lab, not intentional tampering with evidence.
Well, this much I was clear on. :snooty:
 
  • #937
There was no evidence of 'tampering'... only implied.
They were asked to disregard ALL evidence by the defense team.

Getting off for a gruesome double murder because one detective lied about saying the n-word... so nothing was believed that he said or did in the case AND another 'may have' mishandled some blood evidence IS a technicality in my eyes... razz or not!
see my post to Nova, where I have apologized. :snooty:
 
  • #938
Oh, then I do apologize. I really thought there had been tampering. Guess I was misinformed. :eek: Truly sorry.

No apology necessary. It's been almost 20 years and I'm sure some people still believe there WAS tampering.
 
  • #939
Right, but his lying about saying it on the stand is what ruined the case IMO.
 
  • #940
Okay, then. You use "technicality" in a very broad sense to mean any piece of evidence you decide is inconsequential.

The Simpson trial was a farce for a number of reasons. I don't know how you point to two factors and declare them the deciding ones. Famed prosecutor Vince Bugliosi wrote an entire book about how the case was lost and blamed it on none of the elements we've mentioned here.

He, for example, thought the glove fiasco was far more important than Fuhrman. All that "N" word stuff played great for the camera, but many people have pointed out that it is a word every black person (including jurors) has heard before.

NO, that's wrong. My two points were 'technicalities' when put up against the main part of the case.

The 'Bug' got some $change$ out the case.

It was him perjuring himself on the stand that was the big stink... and the stupid trying on the gloves disaster.
 
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