Amanda Knox Appellate Hearing
Amanda Knox was originally sentenced to 26 years in prison last year for the death of her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox and her boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were found guilty of the murder. According to CNN, Knox's appeal has allowed her to retest the evidence that was used to convict her (i.e. DNA samples from the murder weapon). Further, an Italian inmate testified that a fellow prisoner confessed that Knox was not involved in the killing. Mario Alessi testified that Rudy Guede, who has been convicted of being involved in Kercher's murder and serving a 16-year sentence, told him that Knox did not participate in the killing. Marco Castelluccio has also testified that Guede told him that Knox had nothing to do with the crime.
As part of her appeal, Knox hopes to prove that there is enough doubt to overturn her previous conviction. For example, some of the DNA samples were not able to be double tested because the samples were too small and similar evidence was not tested until six weeks after the murder. Once the testing is complete, forensic experts will present their analysis to a jury composed of two judges and six citizens.
Appealing a sentence and conviction is difficult without the advice and assistance of legal counsel. If you have been convicted of a crime, a knowledgeable appellate attorney will be to advise you on the appropriate issues for an appeal. Our South Carolina appellate attorneys are highly experienced in both state appeals and federal appeals to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
If you or someone you know has been convicted of a state or federal crime and wants an appeal filed on their behalf, please contact one of our federal appellate attorneys for a free consultation at 1-800-94-TRIAL.
