You shouldn't take the possibility of contaminated DNA lightly.  Scientists, when mapping the human genome, were startled when close to half of "Human" DNA matched the banana plant.

They were even more surprised when they learned they were mapping there own lunches instead of the human genome.

You is right. 

Depends where one is... like most things, I suppose. It might be a moot point since there might well be systems around where the two are equivalent. I simply don't know. 

I know nothing of the Italian legalities, as I said/meant. When serious reasonable doubt exists, a person should not be brought to trial. Not finding a culprit doesn't mean there isn't one... a possibility haunting the Italian Police and public now.

Exactly... and what the Italian lab did was contaminate the sample and then do the equivalent of turning the volume up so high that Verdi sounded the same as The Rolling Stones.

Saying one can't hear the difference isn't the same as saying the two are the same. Individual rights shouldn't be trampled in a rush to judgement, even though the crime was horrific. 

Her innocence or guilt cannot be known. However, based on what was presented as evidence, she is certainly not guilty. Her case was reviewed by impartial legal experts here in the States (hired by media - CNN), and nothing was found to warrant arrest, never mind trial. I can't say if they were correct as I'm not a legal expert... 

Effectively meaningless if the alleged crime was not committed in the US.

[e digicons]:')[/e]

Hence my comment guilty or no as in not guilty. Reasonable doubt doesn't prove or disprove guilt. It simply means the is reason to doubt both. Like JC Rabbit said, 26 years is a lot to wish on someone especially if that someone really is innocent. Sadly it does happen even with reasonable doubt. How many were wrongly convicted due to 'circumstantial' evidence only to be proven innocent when the DNA investigation is done correctly.

Effectively? Perhaps as they can't practice there.. but their legal opinions mean a good deal to me, at least. Helluva lot more informed... especially as they are matched by experts in other countries. There was a rush to judgement with faulty evidence and talk about 'Satanic rituals'... no evidence of that either... but it's a small, rural town in a heavily Church dominated country.

Naah. Didn't meet rational criteria, but again... who will ever know because of the Keystone Cops getting a hold of it. I feel for the victim and her family. They might never know closure of any kind. Rankles a good deal. 

I think we all know.. she's not.. innocent, in all of this.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's why the prosecutors are appealing the decision.  Despite an 'alleged' error in the DNA evidence, they believe they had the right persons for the crime all along.  Unfortunately, she has now left Italy and the US will make it exceedingly difficult for the Italians to bring her back before the court, should the appeal be successful, which it very well could be if prosecutors better present their evidence/facts.

Time will tell, but I don't think this is over by a long shot... and what a travesty if the appeal is successful, Knox's guilt is proven and the US Gov't intervenes to save her from serving out the rest of her sentence. Should never happen, but expect it if the conviction is upheld.

You got that right because all the bleeding hearts will cry foul saying that she has been acquitted and that's that.

Thing is, the laws in Italy are different, and those are the laws which apply to this case...

If the boot were on the other foot and the roles were reversed, the US WOULD be crying foul right about now.

That's the trouble, the US wants its cake and eat it too.... which is quite kind, compared to what I've been hearing today.

Reading your posts inspires me to make a suggestion.  Try acquainting yourself with the actual facts of the case and then stating a conclusion rather than vice versa.  And one more thing.  It IS over.  Take my word for it.  If you are not inclined to do that, because after all I am an American, familiarizing yourself with the facts of the case might lead you to that conclusion all on your own.  And that would put you in accord with the 2 Italian judges and 6 Italian lay persons who made the decision in this case.

The whole case was a farce and a blot on the Italian police force.

The case against  Raffaele Sollecito hinged on the knife; which contained no DNA of the victim and the bra clasp which was contaminated.

If he was not there the night of the murder then the prosecution case falls apart. In my POV a farcical middle-aged mysoginist fantasy at best.

Meredith Kercher was murdered by an African illegal immigrant drifter. Not exactly unusual; its that simple.

Strange how people always believe their nationals abroad are innocent no matter what the charge, and always assume the foreign legal system is inadequate in some way.

That will only be because your government will obstruct the Italians, regardless of irrefutable guilt should it be proven

Yeah.... nail on the head there, Fuzzy... nail om the head.

However, we have a few nationals in Indonesian prisons, some facing the death penalty over drug smuggling related charges, and our government is not obstructing the Indonesians, nor calling the legal system unreliable, etc, etc.

The difference being, Australia respects the sovreignity of other nations.

Too bad we can't say that of the US. Always wanting to put their noses where they don't belong.

But Gosh and golly, Fuzzy.... US Law NEVER makes a mistake....

...ever.

Interesting. Tried looking up American government involvement in the case and found nothing.... good deal of stuff about the media in all 3 countries, but not the government. 

Anyone have a reliable (and relevant to the Knox case) reference on that? 

No evidence of that having occurred. As for the future? Would really depend on the Italian Supreme Court's decision regarding the legal reasoning in the Italian Appeals Court's decision when it's fully written up... which could take months according to MSNBC. Why accuse before anything has occurred?

According to what I've read and pieced together, there's a really large body of evidence which points to the two being railroaded (together with some really dumb statements, etc. by Ms. Knox). Dumb doesn't, however, mean guilt or innocence.

Jafo, fuzzy and starkers... mistakes happen everywhere since human beings are involved. As for private and perhaps mis- or uninformed private citizens taking up cudgels, that happens everywhere as well. 

Why don't we all relax and watch what develops? 

link...    

I'd thought that at some point we'd (or anyone) would have differentiated between "Law" and how it's applied.

The possibilities for arguing, anger, rancor, etc. are endless...