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Campbell Brown
American Found Guilty of Murder in Italy; Bailout Bucks For Jobs?
Aired December 04, 2009 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CAMPBELL BROWN, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Breaking news from Italy, a verdict in the Amanda Knox trial, the American student found guilty of murdering her British roommate. We will have all the latest details.
Also tonight, President Obama considering using bailout money to create jobs. Are everyday Americans about to get some of the cash that's been going to the banks?
And a story every parent needs to hear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If we can save one child, it's worth everything.
BROWN: Why one Houston doctor wants to screen every sixth-grader for heart disease.
This is your only source for news. CNN prime-time begins right now. Here is Campbell brown.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANNOUNCER: This is your only source for news. CNN prime time begins now. Here's Campbell Brown.
BROWN: Good evening, everybody.
We are going to start as always with the "Mash-Up." We're watching it all, so you don't have to.
And breaking news to begin tonight, American student Amanda Knox found guilty of murder by an Italian jury. It's being called by some here in the U.S. a massive miscarriage of justice. She is accused of killing her roommate in a drug-fueled sex game. Many legal watchers say she was railroaded by an Italian prosecutor with a vendetta.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDY BACHRACH, "VANITY FAIR": The prosecutor, Mignini, had it in for her because he didn't like the way she conducted her life. He didn't like the fact that she had a lover. He didn't like the fact that had condoms were found in her purse.
She basically has been convicted on her social life and on the fact that she took drugs. There isn't an ounce of real hard evidence against her. And all of Italy should be ashamed, actually.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Amanda's parents said in a statement tonight they plan to appeal immediately. The most stunning part of this case, there was no physical evidence linking her to the crime and another man was already found guilty.
Here what is one of her lawyers told CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BACHRACH: I think it's been a manner of honor with the prosecutor of going forward once he said in the first instance that this was a sex slaying. He later said that it was a ritualistic slaying. Now, at the end of the day, at the end of the case, he said it was because she didn't like Meredith.
But, throughout, the constant has been there was no physical evidence to connect her. The knife didn't match. It didn't match the wounds. It didn't match an imprint in the bed of the knife. The DNA wasn't sufficient to even measure with respect to Meredith and didn't match in any event. Amanda didn't confess. There wasn't one scintilla of evidence of her in that room, no hair, no fiber, no fingerprints.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: We are going to have much more on the story throughout the hour. Amanda Knox's aunt is going to be joining us very shortly.
An bailout for unemployed Americans may be on the way. Tonight, President Obama is considering using some of the $700 billion TARP fund for job creation. That's the cash that has been going to the banks.
Earlier today, at a town hall meeting, a student proposed a very different kind of plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering if -- maybe if you checked out some of the statistics about legalizing prostitution, gambling, drugs, and non-violent crime, in order to stimulate some of the economy?
(LAUGHTER)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, I -- I have to say this. Well, I -- I appreciate the boldness of your question.
(LAUGHTER)
(APPLAUSE)
OBAMA: That will not be my jobs strategy.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: So it won't be pot and prostitutes, but President Obama says he will share his plan to create jobs on Tuesday.
To Russia now, where pyrotechnics tore through a nightclub, killing at least 100 people tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Preliminary reports suggest that the massive explosion was caused by indoor fireworks show gone wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There were 200 people in the club. And there was, as we know, no fire after the explosion. There was also little structural damage to the building.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: According to local officials, most people died due to smoke inhalation, burns, and the crush as people fought to escape the venue.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The club was holding its own corporate event.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was the eighth anniversary of their business.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All present were thought to be employees and family members throwing this party.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Officials say this was in no way a terrorist attack.
Film director Roman Polanski out of prison and in a Swiss chalet tonight. He was released on bail pending his extradition to the U.S. on child sex charges.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN NEILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Take a look over this way. You can see media outlets from all over the world, really, all hoping to catch some kind of glimpse of the famous director.
He's just arrived here to his chalet a short time ago, but no one has caught a glimpse of him yet. You can see, the doors are shut up, the windows are shut, the blinds are drawn. So far, no word nor sight of the famous director.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: Polanski is free to work on films or have parties at his home, but he can't go outside. He is wearing an ankle bracelet just to make sure. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a new title to add to her resume, mother of the bride. She shared some of the excitement with our very own John Roberts.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: I am officially an MOTB, mother of the bride.
(LAUGHTER)
CLINTON: And I'm very excited about it.
For me, particularly, an extraordinary moment to see how happy my daughter is and to have such a wonderful young man who will become my son-in-law.
But it's daunting to be trying to plan a wedding. Madeleine Albright called me the other and she said, well, when I was secretary of state and had not a minute to myself, I had to plan a wedding. So, if you need any advice, just call me.
And I said, I will be calling.
JOHN ROBERTS, CO-HOST, "AMERICAN MORNING": So, is this going to be the wedding of weddings? Or will it be a small affair, or...
CLINTON: We don't know. We're working on it. But it will be a private affair. It will be for her close friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And the wedding is expected to be next summer.
That does bring us to the "Punchline." This is courtesy of Conan O'Brien.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CONAN O'BRIEN, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH CONAN O'BRIEN": Police in Texas have seized -- I'm not making this up -- seized a batch of ecstasy pills shaped like President Obama.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)
O'BRIEN: The cops seized a batch of ex-lax tablets shaped like John McCain.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And that is the "Mash-Up" tonight. We have got a whole lot more coming up on the breaking news, Amanda Knox found guilty by an Italian jury, a dramatic end to the sensational case against the 22-year-old American college student. Her family says they will continue to fight for her freedom. And her aunt is joining us live -- that coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Tonight's breaking news, a guilty verdict in the Amanda Knox case. The verdict was announced to a packed courtroom just after midnight Italian time as hundreds of journalists and curiosity-seekers crowded the streets outside. The jury had deliberated less than 12 hours.
Knox, an American exchange student, now sentenced to 26 years in prison for the murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox burst into tears when the verdict came down. Her family says they will move into Italy to pursue appeals.
They issued a statement just a little while ago, saying -- quote -- "We are extremely disappointed in the verdict rendered today against our daughter. While we always knew this was a possibility, we find it difficult to accept this verdict, when we know that she is innocent. It appears clear to us that the attacks on Amanda's character in much of the media and by the prosecution had a significant impact on the judges and jurors and apparently overshadowed the lack of evidence in the prosecution's case against her."
CNN's Paula Newton is joining me right now from Perugia, Italy, where she has been following this from the very beginning.
And, Paula, this was a huge deal, this trial, everyone tracking every moment of it in Italy. Give us the reaction there tonight. What's going on?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Not just in Italy, Campbell. Really, what you felt here was how much people were paying attention back home.
Inside, the judge dispassionately reading that verdict, the other seven jurors not looking at the defendants, especially not looking at Amanda Knox, who slumped in her chair and began sobbing. All her defense could do was put their arms around her.
Such a contrast, Campbell, to what was going on outside -- it was such a circus, I can't tell you. People were applauding. Other people, as Amanda Knox and her former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, who were convicted, got into the police van, people were yelling assassin at her.
In the meantime, the reaction, the heartbreak reaction came out from the Meredith Kercher family, saying they believe justice was served, a contrast really -- I mean, I saw Amanda Knox's sister from here, Deanna. She was completely shell-shocked. As you just heard, the family moving members of their family here to Perugia to pursue an appeal. And they just think that the kind of circus that we saw here tonight, the family says, look, there was no hope that their daughter could get a fair trial in this city in this way -- Campbell.
BROWN: And, Paula, Amanda, and, as you mentioned, her boyfriend will also face prison time. But they have other penalties as well, right?
NEWTON: And this is really interesting. The Meredith Kercher family sought to make sure that no one could profit from this crime. They had launched a suit, the court upholding that and saying that they should be awarded jointly from the two now convicted killers about $7.5 million.
That doesn't mean that they have that money to hand over, but what it means is that they cannot profit from this crime, no matter when they get out of prison. And to the Meredith Kercher family, when they have seen the media circus surrounding their daughter's death for the last two years, this meant a lot -- Campbell.
BROWN: And, to that point, you talk about the Kercher family. As much attention as has been given to this case and to Amanda Knox, there hasn't been that much attention really given to the victim here.
NEWTON: And all of us as parents can feel for that, Campbell.
The Kerchers have really kept a dignified distance from this proceeding. But they really were the most interested parties in a certain way, looking for justice for their daughter. And the details of how she died are just so brutal, prosecution saying it took her at least 20 minutes, at least, and that's not including the other agony she went through.
And, again, as we were just saying, with the media spotlight on the two defendants and now convicted killers, the memory of Meredith Kercher here is what her family wants people to concentrate on again.
BROWN: Paula, stand by, if you will.
And let me bring in Judy Bachrach from "Vanity Fair," because Judy has been tracking this case also from the very beginning, has written a whole lot about it.
And, Judy, I know you think this was a total miscarriage of justice and that Italy should be ashamed. Explain your thinking.
JUDY BACHRACH, "VANITY FAIR": Well, I sort of felt from the beginning, when the judges put Amanda Knox in jail two years before she went to trial, that they were determined that she was going to be found guilty.
Very early on, it had been decided that she was leading a life that Perugia, which is where she was convicted and where she used to live, wasn't fond of, that she was smoking deep, that she was sleeping with her boyfriend.
And Perugia is a very small town and it's very small-minded. And, in their eyes, Amanda was the epitome of every Italian momma's nightmare, the beautiful American girl who leaves her home country, comes to Italy, seduces Italian boys, smokes grass, and basically lives what they perceive as a dissolute life. This is not Rome. This is not Paris. This is Perugia. And that's what she is convicted of, her lifestyle.
BROWN: And, Judy, stand by, if you will. We have got to take a quick break.
We have a whole lot more to talk about here. And in just a moment, when we come back, we're going to break down Italian prosecutors' theory of the Amanda Knox case. Could it have happened the way they say? Stay with us. We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: If you are just joining us, our breaking news tonight, American student Amanda Knox has been sentenced by an Italian court to 26 years in prison for the murder of her British roommate.
Here with more on all of this is Judy Bachrach, who has covered the vase for "Vanity Fair," CNN legal analyst Lisa Bloom also joining us now, attorney Anne Bremner from the support group Friends of America, and from Perugia, CNN's Paula Newton with us here as well.
Lisa, let me talk with you on this and let's talk a little bit about the prosecution's theory.
It was that Amanda Knox was a ringleader, they said, of a sexual assault and murder. Ultimately, I guess, the jurors agreed. Do you find -- you have looked the at the case, how they laid it out -- do you find their case at all to be credible, their theory?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Look, this was a big, messy case.
But to me it always boiled down to this. Does the prosecution's case make common sense? Think of it. Amanda Knox, a young 20-year- old girl, not the type of group that ordinarily engages in rape and murder of another female. So, that is a farfetched theory to begin with. Now, it's possible. Anything is possible in the criminal law, but what do we need to prove a farfetched theory? We need some pretty solid physical evidence.
There is no physical evidence linking Amanda Knox to the crime scene, to the bedroom where Ms. Kercher, Meredith Kercher, was brutally killed. Instead, what we have is DNA all over the place, including all over the body of this poor woman and inside her body, of Rudy Guede, a man who has already been convicted of the sexual assault and murder.
What we have, unfortunately, against Amanda and what I think did her in was inconsistent statements she made to the police after a very long and inappropriate interrogation of her. We have some behavior that looks bad in front of a jury, like cartwheeling at the police station. And we have other DNA at the house.
But of course it's the house where she lived. So, you would expect DNA to be there. When you put all that together, I'm sorry to say that, in an American court, many people have been charged on evidence that thin and even convicted, some of them later exonerated due to the work of the Innocence Project.
So, maybe Amanda has some hope coming up, but I think the evidence overall was thin and the prosecution's theory never made sense to me.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Hold on.
If you guys could just stand by for one moment, because I do want to bring in Janet Huff, who is Amanda's aunt. She is joining us right now from Seattle by phone.
Mrs. Huff, welcome to you. I appreciate you calling us.
Let me just say I know your family is devastated by this. Have you or did you see Amanda in the court tonight? Have you communicated at all with the family?
Janet, are you there? Can you hear me?
JANET HUFF, AUNT OF AMANDA KNOX: Yes. I'm here, yes.
BROWN: Oh, hi. OK. I'm sorry.
Let me repeat my question. I just -- as I said earlier, I know that your family has been devastated by the verdict. And I was wondering if you were able to watch and you saw Amanda in court.
HUFF: After the fact, yes.
We didn't see her live as it happened. We had quite a few media personnel at our house at the time and friends and family all sitting there. And, of course, as soon as they just made the announcement, everyone fell apart.
So, after everybody cleared out, we were able to watch the news and see her as it happened. And we are just crushed.
BROWN: Do you know if she was able to speak with her parents or her sisters?
HUFF: Her mom was able to yell at her "I love you" as see was being taken away. And that's it.
BROWN: How is the family there in Italy holding up?
HUFF: I think they are a lot worse off than we are here, because they are in the throes of it. They had to deal with leaving that court scene with the huge amount of press and media that are there pushing them and shoving them and yelling things, and people applauding the fact that she was convicted.
It's terrifying and horrible to have to go through as a parent to deal with that with your child.
BROWN: Janet, what do you think happened here? I mean, what was it that you believe was the most damaging thing to her case?
HUFF: Honestly -- and no offense to this particular station personally -- the media.
The jurors there are not sequestered. They are allowed to go home, watch, read, speak to whoever they would like. And the media from the get-go was fed false information, and they ran with it, because, boy, is it a sexy story, you know, beautiful, young American girl caught up in this horrible nightmare.
And it makes for a very interesting story. So -- and, of course, the more twisted things that are put out there, the more they are regurgitated by the media. And that's what the jury hears, because they can.
The jury, a lot of the times, I have been told, were sleeping during testimony in the courtroom. So, then they're awake at home watching television and listening to garbage. So, I think that the media had a great deal to do with her being convicted, not any one particular group, but just the media in general.
They are so interested in having an interesting story, that they forget to always fact-check. And I have had many members of the press apologize to me for reporting things that they didn't fact-check on.
Of course, they are not going to mention it in public that they made a mistake. They are just going to call it new information is out now. So, we have learned a lot about how the media works. And it's really disappointing to find out that, when you watch the news, that not all of it is actually true or even checked on. So, it's just kind of a blow.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Janet, stand by with me, if you will, for a moment.
We are going to take a quick break. We're talking to Janet Huff. She is Amanda Knox's aunt -- this family having an incredibly difficult night, as you can imagine, given the guilty verdict here.
We're going to take a quick break. We will be right back, a whole lot more on this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And we are back following the breaking news tonight of the guilty verdict that came down tonight in Perugia, Italy, Amanda Knox found guilty of murder.
We are talking right now to her aunt, Janet Huff. And, Janet, talk to me a little bit about the next steps here. We know that the family has decided to hunker down, to stay in Italy, to appeal this case. What does that mean? What do they do next?
HUFF: Well, that's really up to the lawyers. We don't know enough about the law in Italy to fully understand what is involved with the appeals process, other than we know it can take anywhere from one to two years to go completely through.
So, we have talked amongst ourselves about the possibility of a couple of us moving to Italy and finding work there. It's just too expensive to try to travel back and forth and back and forth. So, we are making some plans to try to be there for her always, as we have been from the beginning.
BROWN: When was the last time -- I know you told me that her mom was able to shout out "I love you" to her as she was being taken away. But do you know when -- when was the last time they really got to have a conversation with her?
HUFF: I think the last visiting day, if I'm not mistaken, was day before yesterday.
But things get a little bit screwy when court is ongoing. Sometimes, visiting days are canceled or missed because court's in session. So, I'm not sure on that. We are going to have a chance to talk to Amanda tomorrow. She gets her weekly phone call home. So, we will get to ask her then when she talked to her mom last.
BROWN: I know there are so many instances of injustice that you believe happened here. What upsets you most about this?
HUFF: Oh, gosh. What upsets me most about this is that I guess you can't change an entire country's way of justice and their court system, but the fact their jurors are not sequestered, they are allowed to go home, read the newspapers, watch TV, talk to their friends, go online, read whatever they want.
And that, believe it or not, does affect their decision-making process. Another thing is, is that there's been reports of jurors falling asleep in the middle of someone's testimony, and that nothing is done about that.
These are things that -- that could have convinced that person Amanda was innocent, and they were sleeping through it. There are just so many little things like this that all add up to, they screwed up. They made a huge mistake.
And people are cheering about it now. And I'm just disgusted by that. I'm just absolutely disgusted that my family had to come out of that courtroom and hear people cheering that Amanda has been convicted of something that she had nothing to do with.
BROWN: Janet...
(CROSSTALK) HUFF: The fact that there was no evidence in that room and that there's evidence all over the place of Rudy, and everyone mentions Rudy as an afterthought, you know, oh, and, by that way, then there's Rudy, he's already been convicted, blah, blah, blah. But the real story is Amanda.
Well, it's not. It's...
BROWN: It is so -- it is strange. There is almost no mention of this guy. Did she have any connection to him?
HUFF: She has never met that man. That man had known the boys who lived downstairs. And he might have seen Meredith once or twice. In fact, I think he said that on a Skyped phone call conversation, that he had seen her once before or twice before or at a party or something.
But he admitted that he had never seen Amanda, and he also admitted that she wasn't there the night of the murder. And people just ignore that.
(CROSSTALK)
BROWN: Let me remind our audience, Janet, because it's just, I think, very hard for us, an American audience, to get our arms even around this, that this guy has been convicted of this crime. He is in jail.
HUFF: Yes, he's already serving 30 years.
BROWN: I just want people to understand that fully.
HUFF: Right.
BROWN: Just tell me, do you think Amanda, do you think she was ready for the guilty verdict mentally? Was she prepared for this?
HUFF: I think so.
I think her lawyers had prepared her for that possibility, as something that is distinct. From what we hear from Italians, people that we didn't know before all of this -- they just kind of randomly come up and tell us things -- that no one is found innocent at this stage of trial.
It's only during appeals process that someone is actually found not guilty, or acquitted, or whatever. Everyone is found guilty at this stage of the court process.
So, that was something that we were prepared for, but we were so hopeful that it wasn't going to be the case this time.
BROWN: All right, Janet, stand by.
There is a lot more to talk about, obviously. We're going to take another quick break. We will be back in just a moment with the very latest out of Italy tonight -- Amanda Knox found guilty.
We will be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: Welcome back, everybody. We are following tonight's breaking news out of Italy. A guilty verdict for Amanda Knox, a young woman convicted of murder in Italy tonight.
I'm talking right now with Janet Huff, her aunt, by telephone. And, Janet, I just, you know, want to talk to you again about what this has done to your family. I mean, this has bankrupted them. The amount of money spent. They are now living in Italy as you begin to prepare for this, you know, what is likely to be a very lengthy appeals process. Talk to me about what the family has been through.
HUFF: Well, there's so many fronts to address there. There's the emotional side and the financial side, and, you know, just trying to continue to have daily life side. I mean, there's a lot of us that have other children that are still in school or are very, very small. We all have jobs. There are things we need to continue to do. And yet, this process with Amanda is a huge part of our life and that everyone's had to make adjustments, take a lot of time off work. You know, maybe not take vacations so that we can send one of the family members to Italy. It's altered almost every facet of our life.
BROWN: And still will, I know, for quite some time.
HUFF: Right.
BROWN: As you guys continue to deal with this. I also want to bring in John Q. Kelly who's just joined me now here in New York who is, of course, a former prosecutor who won conviction in the civil case against O.J. Simpson, of course, represented Natalee Holloway's family.
JOHN Q. KELLY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Good morning.
BROWN: Welcome to you.
KELLY: Thank you.
BROWN: Give me your take on this.
KELLY: It's just a tragedy. When you mentioned the word bankruptcy, I thought of like emotional bankruptcy. The toll takes on the family. It's a tragedy. It's a tragedy for the Kercher family, for, you know, Amanda's family, for Raffaele's family. No one has won here.
I mean, you have one senseless killing, someone lost her life, a young woman. You have another young woman in jail possibly for the bulk of her life. A young man, they didn't know each other for more than 10 days or so, when for no reason, there's no real rhyme or reason for the prosecution of this case. But these two young men are in jail and were let down.
BROWN: So, what happened? I mean, everyone keeps saying that. You said, every guest on this show, that it makes no sense.
KELLY: It doesn't.
BROWN: Explain to -- I have an American audience here who can't figure -- I mean, I was watching it going, how can this happen? Explain to people where -- how this decision came to be. I mean, it's just a different set of ground rules, right?
KELLY: Well, it is. And I think the problem was that Amanda and Raffaele were tried in the media the first couple of weeks. You know, the prosecutor, you know, it's a small town. They needed some action right away after the senseless killing, as I said, and may announce the case basically closed after the first, you know, week or so when they arrested Amanda and Raffaele.
Meanwhile, Rudy Guede, who was the actual killer who executed this young woman in a senseless manner just had taken off. They found his DNA afterwards. They had to, after they announced case closed against these two, make him fit with the crime or them fit with crime he committed.
BROWN: But they weren't able to do that, were they?
KELLY: They did it.
BROWN: I mean, so -- that's what I don't get. You know, this is where the disconnect is. Here is a guy...
KELLY: Right.
BROWN: ... who is in jail, who has been convicted of this crime. Who this young woman has no connection to at all.
(CROSSTALK)
KELLY: And, Campbell, it's worse when -- when he was first tape recorded, when he was, you know, we even knew his DNA was everywhere on the crime scene, he had fled to Germany and surreptitiously tape recorded him through a friend and have a friend say, you know, Amanda has been arrested. Was she there that night? Did she have anything to do with it? He said, no. Definitely not.
Second time he spoke to police in Germany, Amanda wasn't there. Raffaele had nothing to do with it. He was the sole killer. It was his crime that they had to, the prosecution for some reason want to make this fit.
BROWN: All right, stand by. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, we're going to tell you a few specific things that the jury saw that had them pretty riveted during this case. We'll be right back. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: And we're back tracking our breaking news tonight. The guilty verdict in Italy tonight of Amanda Knox, the young American girl who has been convicted of murder. And we have been talking about this case with many of the people involved who've been covering this from the very beginning, including Amanda's aunt who has joined us by telephone as well.
I want to go to Anne Bremner, and who is a lawyer who is also a part of a group "Friends of Amanda" who has been very supportive of the family throughout this. And, Anne, one of the questions that keeps coming up, though, you know, despite the fact that there seems to be sort of this unanimous view that she really got a raw deal here. There is her rather odd behavior in the days after the murder, and this did come up during the trial.
Shopping for underwear. Giving conflicting stories to police. Doing cartwheels at the police station. Was she ever able to fully explain this behavior?
ANNE BREMNER, ATTORNEY, "FRIENDS OF AMANDA": It was a conviction by media, but also by character evidence. You know, she was questioned for 40 hours, in Italian. She didn't speak it without a lawyer, and there was physical force alleged. And cartwheels at the station were explained. She's a naive, sweet, almost hippest girl in Seattle as been explained. And, you know, our group, "Friends of Amanda," we came in a year after she was charged, Campbell. And what our task was is to try turn around this supertanker of salacious leaked and false information from a close hearing that went for a year before charging would be 72 hours here in the U.S., where all kinds of false information leaked out and dominated the press and became an avalanche against her.
BROWN: I want to go to some of the specifics. We're watching this video also here of what was happening in that courtroom.
Paula Newton is our CNN reporter who's been there tracking all of this for us. And, Paula, Amanda made this very heartfelt appeal to the jury yesterday to try to convince them that she wasn't the person she was portrayed to be. And if we can, if we've got that ready, I just want to play that for people. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA KNOX, CONVICTED OF MURDER: (Speaking Italian).
KNOX (through translator): I do not want to be defined as someone I am not by actions that do not belong to me. I am afraid of being forced to wear the mask of a murderer on my skin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROWN: And, Paula, we obviously know that that didn't convince the jurors, but give us a sense for how people were reacting to it in the courtroom as she was making this plea. PAULA NEWTON, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The courtroom was incredibly quiet when this was going on. And the jury does obviously take an interest and look at her, but it is with a very dispassionate look. And Amanda Knox did take the stand again quite convincingly this summer, many said, in terms of explaining a lot of that behavior you were just talking about and talking about the interrogation. The fact she didn't have a lawyer or a translator. And from the beginning, Campbell, there seemed to be the sense in this city that the jury had made its mind even before they were found as jurors. And that is the nagging doubt that sticks with the Knox family and sticks with those trying to defend Amanda Knox.
At the same time, though, the Meredith Kercher family, victim in all this, they were convinced of their quilt. The prosecution convinced not just the jury, but that family that this was the justice that was deserved for what happened to their daughter.
Campbell, I have to mention as well just very briefly, you know, last week there was a video shown that the prosecution put together. It ran 23 minutes. It looked like something out of "Lara Croft Tomb Raider." It was a 3D impression of exactly what happened. In the middle of it, very graphic photos of the autopsy of Meredith Kercher and what actually happened to her. The jury was glued like in ways that they haven't been for months. So everyone wondering now that no matter what Amanda said in her own defense, how could she overcome that piece of video -- Campbell.
BROWN: So just to be clear, this was kind of an animation of what had happened, Paula?
NEWTON: It looked like a video game. Campbell, I was in the prosecutor's office today. I've reviewed it for more than an hour and a half, frame by frame. Hopefully we'll get some of it in the coming days.
It was -- it looked like a video game. But in the middle you would see images, very graphic images of the autopsy of where they found blood stains, of wounds to Meredith Kercher. And in terms of actually also piecing together, only the prosecution side, of course, of the story. And I can't help but think that that is what made the most impression on the jury.
BROWN: Lisa Bloom, that's a little unusual. Can you imagine in an American trial something like that being used as a tool by the prosecutors?
LISA BLOOM, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Actually, animations are very common in American courts, Campbell. They were used to convict Michael Peterson in North Carolina. I saw an animation in the Phil Spector closing argument recently here in Los Angeles, as well as using crime scene photos, autopsies photos. Murder cases are brutal, they are ugly, they are gruesome. And while we don't broadcast those kinds of photos when we're covering trials, jurors certainly do see them and is very effective.
BROWN: Very effective. I mean -- BLOOM: And according to the practice (ph) in America, anything goes.
BROWN: Yes, well --
BLOOM: In fact, there are entire companies, all they do is put together animations for attorneys to use in trials.
BROWN: OK. So, Lisa, explain this, though, because, obviously, the Italian judicial system is very different from ours.
BLOOM: Yes.
BROWN: Just give people, though, the sort of bottom line, you know, what we saw play out here, the differences that are so crucial to understand.
BLOOM: Well, the critical difference is this is a jury of eight, not 12, as in the U.S. It's six civilians and two judges. And they are allowed to view and watch all media during the trial. In fact, they are allowed to give media interviews during the trial. And two of them said they thought she was guilty before all the evidence was in. That's something that makes us want to pull our hair out because it's so contrary to our system.
Theoretically, it is proof beyond a reasonable doubt. That's what is required in Italy, although many people think it's a looser standard there. Having said all that, I have to say that Amanda Knox getting 26 years for first degree murder is a considerably lower sentence than she would have gotten in most American states where she would have gotten either the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole, which is required for first degree murder in many places in the United States.
I think she has a better shot on appeal in Italy than she would have in the United States, in the U.S. Very few convictions are overturned on appeal. Much more likelihood of success in Italy. So there are pluses and minuses.
And I want to point out that many Americans are tried and convicted on evidence this thin in the United States, conflicting evidence to the police. The confession that looks faulty, but nevertheless is a confession. Thin but some DNA evidence. So I don't want to just attack the Italian system. I think this is a wrongful conviction, but I also think wrongful convictions happen here.
BROWN: All right. When we come back, Judy Bachrach is with us. And she has done a lot of research about this prosecutor, in particular. And, Judy, I know you think that he is personally responsible for a lot of what's happened here. We're going to talk to you about that that when we come back.
First, though, "LARRY KING LIVE" just minutes away. Jim Moret filling in for Larry tonight. Jim, what have you got?
JIM MORET, INSIDE EDITION: Campbell, we have more on the breaking Amanda Knox news. What's next for the American student and her family? We're going to get reaction. She's been found, of course, guilty of murder, sentenced to 26 years in prison. We'll hear from relatives and friends and we'll ask legal experts if the evidence or a carefully crafted campaign against Amanda led to her conviction. All that coming up on "LARRY KING LIVE."
Campbell, back to you.
BROWN: All right, Jim. We'll see you in a few minutes.
Quick break. Back with a lot more in this breaking news story about Amanda Knox. This guilty verdict when we come back. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: We're back now with the breaking news from Italy tonight. A guilty verdict for Amanda Knox. And we are talking right now with Judy Bachrach who has written a lot about this case for "Vanity Fair."
And, Judy, we were just before the break talking to you about the prosecutor in this case. You did a lot of research on his background and I know you hold him responsible for railroading her here. Explain what you think was going on.
JUDY BACHRACH, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "VANITY FAIR": In large, Giuliano Mignini, which is the name of the prosecutor is responsible for what has been going on here. Mignini had a problem. One of the pieces of evidence supposedly against Amanda was a knife. That knife, as it turns out, didn't fit the actual wounds on the neck of the victim. And he also had very little DNA evidence, so he made sure, and I have to say the judges made sure, as well, that Amanda's own DNA experts were never heard from.
So the only words we had to go on, the only evidence presented was presented by the prosecution. And Mignini himself is under investigation right now in Italy for what's being called there abuse of justice, judicial justice. He's thrown a journalist, an investigative journalist in jail, put him in isolation because that journalist had the temerity to accuse Prosecutor Mignini of mishandling another murder case.
So Mignini goes after blood. And in this case, the blood was Amanda's. There was very little evidence. He didn't like the way she led her life. And I have to say what is most unusual in Italy in his summation, which took seven hours, which included that awful video we have just heard about, he mentioned Amanda's sex life and said she was fond of wild sex, which considering this is a murder issue and not a sexual issue or not only a sexual issue, is very peculiar. He said this kind of girl who goes in for this kind of sex life, of course, she's a murderer. Of course, she you have to find her guilty. And the reason he was so adamant is because he had almost no evidence against Amanda Knox. And she was not allowed to refute any of that evidence with her own experts.
I want to correct one thing that was said today. BROWN: All right.
BACHRACH: And that is very briefly, the court of Cassazione (ph), which is the Supreme Court of Italy, very rarely overturns lower courts. If you're found guilty and you likely will be the moment you're accused in Italy, almost no court is going to overturn you. The one hope she has and I know her people are looking at it, is the European court of justice. She might find some good fortune there.
BROWN: All right. Let me go to Anne now. Because, Anne, I do know that you wanted to make a point about what Judy just said regarding what amounts to a near view character assassin.
Sorry, Janet. Janet Huff, are you there?
HUFF: Yes. Yes.
BROWN: Sorry. Just to Judy's point, I know you had something you wanted to add.
HUFF: Well, you know, there are just so many little things that have been put out there by the media that are turned into something, you know, twisted and horrible. You know, Amanda was seen buying underwear. Well, you know what? My God, they locked up her house and she couldn't get any of her clothes. So, yes, she had to buy clean underwear.
Amanda was seen doing cartwheels. Oh, no. Well, you know, one of the policemen saw her doing stretches because she was sitting in the waiting room for seven hours waiting for Raffaele to finish his testimony. And he asked her are you a gymnast? She said no. He said, can you do a cart? She said, sure. So she did one.
You know, all these little things are turned into this, oh, she's such a horrible person, so inappropriate, when all she is doing is what, you know, any normal 20-year-old person would do if she was -- if she was asked. You know, nobody asked the question why did she do these things. They just said she did it. She must be horrible.
BROWN: Do you think, Janet, that because of Amanda's accusations that that the police mistreated her, do you think that was reason for them to come down even harder on her?
HUFF: Of course, yes. Of course, they don't want to be looked upon as being abusive or abusing their power. But, you know, there's been a lot of reports out there saying that these same police officers have been quoted as saying horrible things about Raffaele's family calling them names and things when they were referring to them. And this is before the trial had even started. So I know a lot of these people had been guilty in their heads before any of the evidence was ever brought forth.
BROWN: John Q. Kelly, just give us a sense of what happens now. You heard what Judy was reporting about the prosecutor and him being under investigation. But her also -- Judy also saying that she didn't think she has a shot on appeal. KELLY: Well, it's difficult. The appellate process can be a lock procedure. It will probably a couple of years before we even uphold any of the decision.
BROWN: She'll be in jail this time.
KELLY: Yes, you've got to reproduce records. You have briefing schedules. And then, you know, the judges are going to look if basically got a fair trial or not. So, you know, was the DNA testimony sufficient to, you know, try them? Should they been allowed to call their own experts. You know, was the media prejudicial? Things like that they'll look at, but it's a long, expensive process and will take some time.
BROWN: All right. Finally, Janet, do you think the family, would you all consider asking the U.S. government to get involved? I'm not sure what they could do, but it's that something you all have talked about?
HUFF: They are involved. They've been involved since the beginning. They have been watching and waiting. That's been the mantra that we keep hearing from everyone. But we've been promised over and over again, that had it come to this guilty verdict, that they would be giving involved. And we've already been receiving e- mails from government officials saying all right, now it's time to do something.
BROWN: Janet Huff, the aunt of Amanda Knox. Again, a very difficult night for you and your family. We do appreciate your time tonight. John Q. Kelly, you as well for joining us.
KELLY: Sure.
BROWN: And Judy Bachrach and everybody else who has joined in tonight to help us cover the story.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts in just a few minutes. He is going to continue with this and have the very latest on the breaking news. Again, Amanda Knox found guilty in the stabbing death of her roommate in Italy. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROWN: "LARRY KING LIVE" coming up in just a few minutes. First, though, more must-see news happening right now. HLN's Mike Galanos with the "Download."
Hi, Mike.
MIKE GALANOS, HLN PRIME NEWS: Hey, Campbell. First off, tonight, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed the order deploying the first of the 30,000 additional troops heading to Afghanistan. This is part of President Obama's surge strategy.
And also today, NATO allies including Britain, Italy and Poland said they'll add another 7,000 troops to join the Americans. Well, former NBC anchor news Tom Brokaw involved in a three-car crash this afternoon in New York City. Brokaw and his wife are OK, but a driver in one of the other car was killed when she swerved to avoid debris in the road.
And late today, the White House announced President Obama will attend the end of the climate change summit in Copenhagen, not the beginning. The thinking is it will be more productive for him to be there on the 18th instead of next week. He'll make a separate trip to Europe to receive his Nobel Peace Prize.
And speaking of climate change, here's something you almost never see in Houston, Texas, this time of year. Snow, as much as three to four inches fell southwest of the city. It's only the fourth time in the last 15 years Houston's got the snow and the earliest ever.
And check this out, a photo, a snowman coming into us from an I- reporter in the Dallas area. There you go. Just in time for the holidays.
Campbell, back to you. Have a great weekend.
BROWN: You too, Mike. I was just talking to all my family down in Baton Rouge. They are having snowball fights. They are so excited.
GALANOS: Sounds like fun.
BROWN: All right, Mike Galanos. Have a great weekend, Mike.
GALANOS: You too.
BROWN: And you all have a great weekend, as well. That's it for us. Thanks for joining us. We'll see you on Monday night.
"LARRY KING LIVE" starts right now.
