Friday, September 13, 2013

Lead Judge Is Now Confirmed And Court Dates Announced For The Florence Appeal

Posted by Peter Quennell



Above: the formidable senior appeal judge Dr Alessandro Nencini who will preside over the appeal.]


September 30; October 4, 23, 24; and November 6, 7, 25, and 26.

These are the dates the Florence appeal court will meet. Corriere and other Italian media sites are confirming these as the dates.

It is confirmed that Judge Alessandro Nencini will preside over the appeal in the Palace of Justice’s Courtroom 32. He is a very senior judge. As the ANSA News Service mentions, Judge Nencini is the President of the Second Chamber of Appeal of the Florence Court.

The new Prosecutor General of Tuscany (Florence’s region) Dr Tindari Baglione, the chief prosecutor of Tuscany’s appeal court, is selecting the prosecutors for the appeal. He arrived in Florence in May of this year. He is said to be formidably unbending. He recently imposed tough sentences on 27 people for the environmental damage caused by illegal work in Mugello on the high speed rail link between Florence and Bologna.

Already appointed as the lead prosecutor is Dr Alessandro Crini. He was among the Florence prosecutors who handled the investigation into the murders by the Monster of Florence and also the mafia massacres of 1993.  In the Monster of Florence case he was a deputy to the leading prosecutor Dr Paolo Canessa, the main prosecutor of the last and final MoF trials.

There are at least seven pieces of bad news for the hotheaded among the Knox-Sollecito faction coming down the pike, some already mentioned in this recent post here..

    1) Prosecutors Paolo Canessa and Alessandro Crimi carried out their MoF investigations in cooperation with Prosecutor Giuliano Mignini of Perugia. We believe it was they who first involved Dr Mignini in the MoF case by explaining the possible MoF connection with the Narducci murder Dr Mignini was investigating. Dr Mignini has no role in this appeal, but they had obvious confidence in him..

    2) Giulia Bongiorno may be leaving the Sollecito team. Sollecito himself has done an immense amount to embarrass her with his defamatory book and narcissistic TV claims. The new lawyer Dr Mastro is said to be a relative of the Sollecito family and has been harshly critical of the Bongiorno defense line of joining Sollecito to Knox at the hip. He would presumably separate Sollecito from Knox, and may throw Knox to the wolves if it helps.

    3) The trial of Luciano Aviello will be running in Florence during the same time as the appeal. Each could explosively impact the other.  We explained the extraordinary implications of this trial for the Knox and Sollecito entourages in this past post also linked to just above.

    4) The trial of Frank Sforza for criminal defamation will start in Florence on 6 November. A prosecutor will bring this case, it is not a simple calunnia case brought by those Sforza abused. We have a new post pending which will explain the many nasty implications for the FOA. Its testimony could also spill over into the Knox-Sollecito appeal.

    5) The appeal outcome is expected to be arrived at by the latest in December. Knox and Sollecito wont have to wait long to hear the probable outcome: guilty as charged. Whether either will appear in the court seems doubtful, but a no-show will do them no good. A coward’s move.

    6) The chief prosecutor in Florence is expected to announce any time now what charges will be brought against Raffaelle Sollecito and his publishers for the many false accusation of crimes and malicious mis-statements of evidence he foolishly included in his book. At least one could incur a substantial prison sentence: Sollecito’s false accusation that the prosecution sought a deal whereby he would turn on Amanda Knox in exchange for lesser charges.

    7) The chief prosecutor in Bergamo north of Milan is expected to announce any time now what charges will be brought against Amanda Knox and her publishers and Oggi for the many false accusation of crimes and malicious mis-statements of evidence she foolishly included in her book. At least one all by itself could incur a prison sentence: Knox’s false accusation that the prosecution forced her in an illegal interrogation into framing Patrick Lumumba.

Those who appear to us realistic about the minefield they face include the defense lawyers (who are rumored to be very despondent) and those who have detached themselves from the pro-Knox forces and quite possibly Curt Knox himself who of late has been quiet for sure.

Those who still maintain a crazed and abusive hard line appear to be only Bruce Fischer and the Mellas family including Chris, Edda, and close relatives. Fischer seems to us unlikely to grow a brain before he is dragged to court, but it is possible that the Mellas family might.  They have taken down all traces of one of the many defaming websites Chris Mellas is known to have put up, the final Perugia Shock.

Also when he overstayed his welcome at their house they threw Frank Sforza out.


[Central Florence at night with Palace Of Justice faintly visible behind at left-center; click to enlarge]

Comments

Great - and encouraging - update!

Thank you, Peter!

Posted by thundering on 09/14/13 at 02:02 AM | #

Had to read this a second time!

Would like to know who has detached themselves from the lunatics .......?

If Curt Knox and some members of the Mellas family are growing some brain cells it would be interesting to know the sorts of conversations they are now having with Amanda.

Posted by thundering on 09/14/13 at 02:19 AM | #

Hi Thundering

Yes it is all proceeding as remorselessly as a train on rails.

The list of those not with the FOA cause any longer is a long one. Several read here, and at least one posts. No names or they get flamed.

The only way to play this to have Knox come out from under the threat of 35 years is to drop the failing rabid confrontation, show remorse, give the money back, and get Knox’s book off the shelves.

But Edda Mellas got on national US TV with Knox as recently as a couple of weeks ago doing the opposite - a ludicrous pitch that (if they knew about it) must have made the lawyers in Italy groan.

Curt Knox may now have realised they have played this very, very wrong. He is keeping the FOA at arms length. He may be Knox’s last best shot.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/14/13 at 03:02 AM | #

Goodness. Back on TV! We must have missed it.

Is Marriott still in the frame? Wasn’t it Curt Knox who set him up? If Curt Knox is AK’s last best shot I hope that means he will give her sound honest advice - and that she will do the right thing and take the consequences for her own sake. Only then will there be a light at the end of her tunnel.

How sad for this family to have the scales removed from their eyes.

Posted by thundering on 09/14/13 at 03:23 AM | #

Italian media report that Stephanie Kercher and one of Meredith’s brothers will be attending the opening trial session in Florence.

Both Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have stated that they will be a no show at their own trial on September 30th.

Posted by True North on 09/14/13 at 05:21 AM | #

A couple of interesting articles here…
http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/15527934-amanda-knoxs-ex-caught-in-another-lie
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/amanda-knox-raffaele-sollicito-claims-2272515

Posted by starsdad on 09/14/13 at 10:33 AM | #

Good to hear the FOA, the Mellas family and the rest of the loonies favourite nihilist Frank Sforza, will be on trial soon.

Posted by DF2K on 09/14/13 at 11:18 AM | #

Good news.

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/14/13 at 01:39 PM | #

Thank You, Peter, for this update and providing the dates when the appeal will be held.

Looking forward to it !

Posted by MissMarple on 09/14/13 at 02:04 PM | #

Excellent news! 

With regards to your point 2, Sollecito’s interview shown in the link below, has him starting to cut ties.  It is most illuminating.  Lets hope Italy has extradition treaties with the Caribean.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/amanda-knoxs-ex-claims-police-2272939

Posted by MHILL4 on 09/14/13 at 04:39 PM | #

@Peter,

Don’t you think that “Curt Knox may now have realised they have played this very, very wrong. He is keeping the FOA at arms length. He may be Knox’s last best shot.” is bit late? At least by 1 year?


I have no grudge against any person but I love to see that adult people start taking responsibilities for their own actions. The Frankenstein (the PR) need to be fed!

Posted by chami on 09/14/13 at 06:38 PM | #

Cool So has there been any defections for Steve Moore and his hystericle wife. I remember so well during the trial when she was thrown out of the course for calling Mignini names. Childish woman. To me she represents everything that Ground Report stands for, in other words nothing. Anyway well done everybody, we wait with bated breath.

Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 09/14/13 at 06:58 PM | #

Regarding the Mirror interview with Sollecito, I found it gut wrenching that he’d had proposals of marriage from crazed ‘groupies’ and not only that but he’d even arranged to meet one of them but “it never worked out”.

On the same footing I recall reading that the looney wife of Steve Moore had said ‘Raffy’ was a “hero” for standing by Knox (in her hour of need it seems)after she had read his book ‘honor bound’.
Boy is she going to be in for a surprise.

Quite interesting Sollecito describes Knox as “out of control” at the police station (you said it Raffy)! and that he’s going to see how things are going the first few days of his appeal before he makes his decision to attend or not.
Very telling… keep it coming Raffy.

Posted by DF2K on 09/14/13 at 07:42 PM | #

Did you watch the little video clip at the end?

He really shows his true colours when it is pointed out to him that many think he is making money out of Meredith’s death. Very defensive and quite unpleasant.

Posted by thundering on 09/14/13 at 08:07 PM | #

@thundering

Indeed, good point. Protesting too much. It’s all getting to him at long last.

Time was that Fort Knox PR would never have allowed that question (regarding understanding why people might be concerned that the two of them are making money out of Meredith’s death) in any TV interview with THEIR client.

Of course times change and the Knox PR effort is grinding to an ignominious halt while poor old Sollecito, well, he’s never had that full-on image management and he’s desperate for any media exposure, even if he has to desperately try to fend off questions that he’d rather weren’t asked. You can almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

Posted by Odysseus on 09/14/13 at 09:00 PM | #

Bad news points 6 and 7 have just been added into the main post, because it appears the announcements of new charges for Knox and Sollecito for the wild claims in their books are imminent.

As the two books fall very far short of coinciding, each could turn on the other here too.

What for us is going to be so interesting is that at each trial both the prosecutions and defenses can make their demands for supporting witnesses. So we could see almost all the FOA hotheads in the hot seat - at each trial.

Explaining the hard proofs for their amazing theories. As Knox and Sollecito are each going to demand support for THEIR version. FOA hotheads wont know whether they are coming or going - they in turn could be charged too.

Rogues gallery in one of our next posts.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/14/13 at 09:44 PM | #

I’m just imagining the newspapers and media - in the possible and now probable final conviction- ....when they have to swing sensationally to the other extreme, and suddenly the great deception is revealed….and it’s all about : how did this happen, and of course, this is now the real story, and how ‘cleverly’ we were all taken in…..etc etc
I expect it will be ‘cut and paste’ again…..only now it will be repeating in the opposite way.
I don’t expect much of the media to actually question themselves, and admit, ‘Well we could have done more original research and investigation..’
I wonder how many of us will hear people suddenly start saying, ‘well, I always thought there were inconsistencies,’ or, ‘the stories didn’t add up.’ ?

I think I’ll say very little, and think of Meredith, and her family.

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/15/13 at 12:35 AM | #

Hello - could you provide more insight as to what the lawyer Maresco was referring to in the Corriere article?  The translation into English said something about the defenses asking for ‘more memory’ and not respecting the decision / reasoning of the Supreme Court?

Posted by believing on 09/15/13 at 03:43 AM | #

@ believing,

Catnip translated it on PMF:

Fracesco Maresca:
“If the Florence Court of Appeal will interpret the guidelines given by the Supreme Court of Cassation, as it seems to me that they ought to be interpreted, then there will be, at least, an examination of trace “I”” (12). “We will not lodge appeal papers: our appeal paper is the Court of Cassation judgment.” (13)


Trace “I”:
The famous Exhibit ‘I’, isolated on the knife, which during the Perugia appeal proceedings had been analysed by the court-appointed experts (14) or, rather, not analysed by them (15) is being called ‘the third trace’ (16).

Posted by thundering on 09/15/13 at 03:59 AM | #

Maresca is only saying that, I suspect, to dampen defense fishing expeditions into the DNA because he is quite confident that the trace will be that of Meredith. Stefanoni already proved that it was. Reproof = case closed.

Cassation has made quite clear that appeal courts need to stick to their knitting, and not try to re-run the trial.

It doesnt want witnesses interviewed and ridiculed in absence of the prosecution’s complete case (or not interviewed and still ridiculed, as Hellmann did) and it normally disallows any new experts. There’s nothing new experts can do here that the small army of experts didnt do at trial.

Either the defense must provide firm proof of other perps or they must fall on their knees and show real penitence - and withdraw those damning books.

What nightmares those books have created for Sollecito and Knox. That is probably the main reason they are scared to come to trial.

Arrest warrants could be issued if they are indicted for those too.  I dont see any western media sticking with them when the lying claims in their books are made to stand out like sore thumbs.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/15/13 at 04:11 AM | #

Giving her sound advice?  Curt quietening down?

Nah ......... http://nypost.com/2013/09/15/exclusive-photos-amanda-knox-at-home-in-seattle/#1

It has begun.

Posted by thundering on 09/15/13 at 05:08 PM | #

And in The Times today…(UK):

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/americas/article3869617.ece

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/15/13 at 05:30 PM | #

I have booked my accommodation in Florence 24th - 27th November. Even if the Appeal has not concluded at that time i just want to be there.

Is anyone else on TJMK planning to be there also. The wheels do turn slowly but they turn.

Posted by Mason2. on 09/15/13 at 06:47 PM | #

There’s another new article about the case from Amanda Knox’s perspective on The Independent website:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/amanda-knox-will-not-return-to-italy-for-retrial-for-fears-her-presence-would-cause-a-distraction-8817828.html

Oscar Quine can be contacted via Twitter:

@oscarquine

https://twitter.com/oscarquine

Posted by The Machine on 09/15/13 at 08:00 PM | #

Thanks a lot Machine

These dishonest reports are likely to become a surge in the next few weeks.

They can all be charged for contempt of court. The reasons are explained here.

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/raffaele_sollecito_now_under_formal_investigation_for_new_crimes_appar/

We are proposing to take two steps which may stop such reports dead in their tracks.

1) Create a PDF document based on the legal rationale which anyone here can send or copy to the media outlet’s editor and legal department warning that legal charges could apply to them.

2) Create a new TJMK page which links to these reports and copies the defaming passages with a quick rebuttal.

Both should be ready this week. We hope everybody will want to join in.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/15/13 at 08:15 PM | #

Speaking of the American news media. I remember that Nancy Grace refused to interview Knox. Now that there seems to be not much going on from a criminal point of view (Jody Arias notwithstanding) I expect Nancy Grace will be all over this. She does her homework which is the full basis for her show even if she gets a little strident at times. The Knox crowd called her all kinds of names I remember. Ah!!! Those chickens are about to come home to roost.

Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 09/15/13 at 08:53 PM | #

Thank you, Pete, I look forward to both those pages/links being ready.
I have placed links, in comments, under some of these misleading reports..to try and counterbalance them ...but people ( in the UK, who are genuinely trying to be objective) come back to me and say, ‘that article is too long and/or complex….can you do a summary of the main points’ etc.

For example,the Massei report, so much of which is unknown in the UK , is far too long for busy people - so I am told.

So the pages you are preparing will certainly fill a need.

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/15/13 at 09:32 PM | #

Hi Grahame

Yes Nancy Grace will speak out for the Italians sure. This was what got the blind fanatics so ticked:

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/nancy_graces_miscarriage_of_justice_observation_goes_viral_with_alread/

Others who could be openly critical of the illegal pro-Knox effort include Wendy Murphy, Alan Dershowitz, Piers Morgan, Katie Couric, Raddell Smith, and Ann Coulter.

We’re expecting th shape-shifter to be the charges to be filed for the two books. NOBODY makes dishonest claims like those in the two books if they are in the clear.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/15/13 at 09:33 PM | #

@Pete

Would you recommend a link which succinctly addresses the extradition issue?

It’s coming up in comments all over again - people still haven’t understood, and are saying ‘America won’t extradite her’ etc etc

It’s a very good idea just to put a link which intelligently summarises the main points.

It’s so futile to be drawn into opinions which have been formed on misinformation.

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/15/13 at 09:43 PM | #

Hi SeekingUnderstanding,

There’s an excellent article about double jeopardy and extradition in relation to this case on the Startling Glass blog:

http://startlingglass.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/the-meredith-kercher-case-going-once.htmlk

Posted by The Machine on 09/15/13 at 10:50 PM | #

Thank you @ The Machine.
Will do…excellent.

Posted by SeekingUnderstanding on 09/15/13 at 11:21 PM | #

Plus we have focused on this double jeopardy and extradition issue repeatedly right here. Neither the law nor the politics is on the side of any refusal of extradition.

The US State Department and Justice Department has no interest in souring Italian relations by getting in the middle to help a druggie. They dont favor knox.

And our lawyer poster James Raper most recently wrote this on the law:

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/Tips_For_The_Media_2_in_fact_knox_extradition/

Many US lawyers who have actually read the law have said the same. The law is very clear. So are precedents. They dont favor Knox.

Plus on top of all that Italy can play a number of trump cards putting immense pressure on Knox.

1) They can issue a worlwide arrest warrant at any time from now on via Interpol, so Knox would be a fugitive for life with no easy way of paying her bills.

2) They can move to sequester any remaining gains from the blood-money book so the Knox effort goes broke in a hurry.

3) They can indict the judges of the first (annulled) appeal for allowing defense counsel to intervene and influence them to pervert the course of justice.

4) They WILL indict Knox for defamatory passages in the book - remember except for her false accusation of Mignini, nobody YET knows what all the defamations are.

5) They can indict the Knoxes and Mellases for contempt of court for running such a dishonest and defamatory campaign.

6) They can include in that indictment the publishers of the book and the shadow writer and Ted Simon and Robert Barnett.

7) They can include in that indictment all of the rabid wing of the FOA including Heavey, the Moores, Hampikian and Fischer. 

With all that immense potential pressure (much of it from her own side who themselves dont want to end up in prison) will Knox be left with any card in her hand?

I think not.

Obviously Sollecito’s lawyers will be thrilled if she doesnt come back.  Can anyone think of MORE calamities? We can turn this into a main post if it would help.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 09/16/13 at 01:25 AM | #

Yes please turn this into a main post!  Very interesting.

Posted by believing on 09/16/13 at 11:23 PM | #
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