Sunday, September 29, 2013
Florence Appeal Court Monday And Friday This Week: What We Might Expect
Posted by Peter Quennell
You are wondering how that short video relates?
Well, it shows the life and death by mafia car-bomb in Sicily of a very brave anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Falcone. The lead prosecutor in the Florence court will be the formidable Dr Alessandro Crini who is also an anti-mafia prosecutor.
It was his thankless job to help to take down those who did the car-bombing, and notably those who supplied the dynamite. You wont find any shots of Dr Crini online (not yet) because those few who sign up to pursue the mafia (of which Dr Mignini is one) have a lot of protections to keep them safe and alive.
One of those protections is to not usually publicize how they look. There are many others in reserve. If the rabid Knox & Sollecito band set out to lie about and defame Dr Crini, doing the mafia’s handiwork, be assured it will be at their great peril. There will be no messing about.
The Florence court will meet on these dates: September 30; October 4, 23, 24; and November 6, 7, 25, and 26. There is a meticulous factsheet here. The Italy-based American reporter Andrea Vogt has announced that she will be reporting live from the Florence court. Last Wednesday, she posted this heads-up on what to expect.
What to expect in court as the Knox and Sollecito appeal begins Monday? As she has repeatedly told interviewers leading up to her trial, Amanda Knox will not be traveling to Italy to attend. Though reportedly traveling in the Caribbean, Raffaele Sollecito is expected to be present for his trial, according to comments his father made to the Italian news agency ANSA on Wednesday. The parents of Meredith Kercher, who have struggled with health issues, are unlikely to attend.
Presiding judge Nencini, known for his no-nonsense “get on with business” style, is expected to make a decision Monday on whether or not to open up the trial for new arguments. Defense attorneys have submitted two documents and want debate reopened. The prosecution is hoping to keep the scope more limited. They support the Cassation’s suggestion to do new forensic testing of a low copy number DNA trace highlighted (but not further analyzed) by the independent experts appointed during the first appeal. For more on the logistics of the trial, skip down to Sept. 18 update
Today Sunday 29 September Andrea Vogt has another report (via the same link). This is an excerpt; the report is worth reading in full.
Now with a government crisis looming and Italy’s biggest story unfolding in Rome, will anybody be there? Lawyers for sure. Sollecito? Probably not until a later hearing. And a number of the 300+ journalists court officials were expecting in Florence are being redirected to the capital for a more pressing story: the possible imminent collapse of the current government. Don’t expect even that to stop the untouchable judicial arm from carrying out its duties. And from my early glimpse of things, Florence has a very different way of doing business than provincial Perugia.
Please also scroll down on that site to the second part of the 25 September report: “Side Show: Monster of Florence Twist”.
We will soon post at length on the development described there. But in essence what it means is that the Supreme Court has now assured that those meddlers who set in motion the horrific demonization of Dr Giuttari and Dr Mignini to throw the Monster of Florence and Narducci and Meredith Kercher cases will get their just deserts.
The incessant bungling meddlers and mafia enablers Mario Spezi and Frank Sforza seem certain to go down, and their handmaiden Doug Preston seems to have a big target on his back.
Comments
The whole country has fought the mafia very bravely. Just like the police must stay always within the law but the mob, as a protester has no such compunction. The fight over the mafia has paid great dividends for the whole country. But the greatest effect you can see in the police and judiciary.
These people are not very rich and powerful but they are committed. Just like in any other system, you will certainly find a couple of rotten apples but the most have become strong, intellectually speaking, upright and fearless. Just look at the fate of the grand old man Silvio!
I do not want to hurt the sentiments of the US readers, but there is a fundamental difference. I of course do not understand the fine dynamics, but the gross features are always obvious.
The mafia has put the whole nation through fire. (I hope I am not offending anyone)
Posted by chami on 09/29/13 at 06:22 PM | #
“.... La mafia non è affatto invincibile; è un fatto umano e come tutti i fatti umani ha un inizio e avrà anche una fine. Piuttosto, bisogna rendersi conto che è un fenomeno terribilmente serio e molto grave; e che si può vincere non pretendendo l’eroismo da inermi cittadini, ma impegnando in questa battaglia tutte le forze migliori delle istituzioni. ….â€
[”.... The Mafia is not invincible, it is human and like all human it events has a beginning and will also have an end. Rather, one must realize that it is a deadly serious phenomenon, and that you can win not only by claiming heroism by unarmed citizens, but engaging in this battle all the best forces of the national institutions. .... “}
Posted by ncountryside on 09/29/13 at 06:48 PM | #
Well said chami. How one admires brave people like Giovanni Falcone and Dr Crini. Italy has faced an uphill battle with mafia corruption for far too long.
Fortunately the tide is turning and the court will be very aware that nailing any attempt to pervert justice in this case will only help increase respect for the law.
Go Dr Crini!
Posted by Odysseus on 09/29/13 at 06:55 PM | #
Just a little remembering: 26 Magistrates (prosecutors and judges) were killed by mafia over the last 45 years. This makes about one every two years.
Several of them had their armed escorts and cooperators massacred together with them, so that about 125 law enforcement officers were killed.
Posted by Yummi on 09/29/13 at 07:43 PM | #
I’d also like to recall that, in Italy, *defamation* is the crime considered to be among the most typically mafioso of all crimes. About this, I quote author Roberto Saviano:
” When I was first put under protective custody, I thought it would all be over in a few weeks. Then it was a few months. Now what terrifies me far more than death is the thought that I might have to go on living like this for ever.
But the worst terror, which attacks me all the time, is the fear that they will manage to defame me. To destroy my credibility, to blacken my name and besmirch all that I’ve lived for and for which I’m paying the price. They’ve done this to everybody who has spilt the beans”....
“I’ll never forget what the ex-husband of Anna Politkovskaya [the campaigning Russian journalist murdered in Moscow in 2006] said the day after she died: “It’s just as well that they killed her. That’s preferable to defaming her. Anna could not have borne that.â€.....
“That’s what wears my soul out and saps my strength: the fear that I too will be discredited by their devious and unpredictable methods, and that I’ll be unable to defend myself and, above all, my words”.
Posted by Yummi on 09/29/13 at 07:56 PM | #
God defend Dr. Crini and Judge Nencini as well as the brave Mignini. It’s such a shame about the brave Falcone, how they killed him for pursuing justice, for upholding law. His memory will live forever because he died for truth and right over wrong. We’ve already seen the dishonest blindness of those who think might equals right and who support nothing higher than their own family, which has proved a bad family. No courage required, just selfish interest and ego as if there were ever a shortage of that dry sand.
The selfless few like Crini, Nencini, Mignini and Falco are the heroes of a nation who risk their lives and give up their own peace and security to stop the thugs who would strong-arm any justice system. Thugs have no concept of honesty or fair play but use violence as a tool to line their pockets or revenge their anger and couldn’t care less when they turn a whole nation into lawlessness with the only rule “let the big dog eat.”
We’ve seen the same philosophy from the FOA, and the leaning toward violence from Knox and Raffaele. They sorted their problems on the end of a knife. Their fan club is more concerned about the financial ruin of two wastrels than the loss of life of a promising young woman who was more courageous yet, as her bullies knew well, unprotected.
Posted by Hopeful on 09/29/13 at 11:11 PM | #
Chris Wands from BBC Five Live has contacted Candace Dempsey and Nikki Battiste on Twitter and asked them to talk about Amanda Knox on his radio programme tonight. Please send a tweet to Chris asking him to also present the prosecution’s side of the story.
@MrChrisWands
https://twitter.com/MrChrisWands
Posted by The Machine on 09/29/13 at 11:52 PM | #
I arrived here Florence yesterday afternoon to a thunderstorm. On the journey i spoke to travellers and cab drivers and everyone has heard of La Knox. No so Meredith.
People seem to know there was a victim but they don’t know her name. Knox has become notorious.
I was asked do you really think that they did it? I do i answered. Yes but why would they do a murder they asked. Well all i could say is some people under the influence of a cocktail to drugs and alcohol could do anything.
Court opens very early so i will write later
Posted by Mason2. on 09/30/13 at 07:16 AM | #
Great you arrived there safety Mason2, and thanks for taking the time to educate the locals you’ve encountered along the way.
Looking forward to hearing from you once court opens - many thanks from all of us here.
Posted by Spencer on 09/30/13 at 07:58 AM | #
I second from Spencer, Mason2.
I suppose the locals are less aware of Meredith as it is Florence and not Perugia. Keep her name in the lights!
Good luck!
Posted by thundering on 09/30/13 at 08:10 AM | #
Chris Wands was inundated with tweets. Thanks to everyone who contacted him. He says he has never had a Twitter response like it i.e. the volume. Meredith’s voice won’t be drowned out anymore.
Posted by The Machine on 09/30/13 at 09:25 AM | #
@Mason2.
Thank You for posting. It is terrible that PR means that it is the notoriety of Knox the person who stands guilty of murder and who stands on appeal is what people see. If only they can understand what has really happened in this case. the memory of Meredith will then take it’s rightful place. It is also dreadful that Knox can continue to do PR stunts via the media while the appeal and legal process is ongoing.No matter what anyone has broadcast or what the defendants have said what counts is the legal process.
The Italian judicial process is impressive in its thorough all round assessment and reasoning of evidence . Thinking of the Kerchers and hoping for Justice.
Thankfull the appeal is now in process.
Posted by Olliebear on 09/30/13 at 11:09 AM | #
LATEST FROM ANDREA VOGT TWITTER:
Atty Bonjiorno for Sollecito defense: the reliable evidence points to Rudy Guede: ” The assasin always leaves a trace.” #amandaknox
Court rules Lumumba may stay and be part of #amandaknox trial.
Patrick Lumumba speaking to press: #amandaknox should be here, but she is afraid, because she knows she has responsibility.
Posted by True North on 09/30/13 at 01:03 PM | #
I agree: all assassins always leave some trace. It is your job to look for it!
It takes lots of guts to stab a live human and I cannot believe that she is now scared! Scared? Of what? How about the other kid?
Patrick is also a victim of the same crime. We shall see how the courts look at it.
Posted by chami on 09/30/13 at 02:27 PM | #
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Where next:
Click here to return to The Top Of The Front PageOr to next entry Appeal Session #1: Images Outside And Inside The Court
Or to previous entry Questions For Sollecito: Why So Many Contradictory Explanations Of How DNA Got On The Knife?