Italian Supreme Court ruling on Amanda Knox retrial expected within hours

Italian Supreme Court judges have heard the arguments , now they must decide whether to order American Amanda Knox to stand trial for a second time in the death of her former roommate.

The judges concluded a hearing into the question early Monday afternoon and were expected to announce their decision within hours.

Knox spent years in jail before an appellate court overturned her murder conviction in the 2007 death of Meredith Kercher. She returned to the United States in 2011.

Prosecutors say they still believe Knox and her former boyfriend, RaffaeleSollecito are responsible for the death, despite the appellate decision.

"We are still convinced that they are the co-authors of Meredith's homicide," Italian news agency ANSA quoted Perugia, Italy, prosecutor Giovanni Galati as saying.

Knox, who is not in Italy for the hearing, is confident in the Italian legal system and hopes one day to return to Italy as a free woman, her lawyer, Luciano Ghirga, said Monday.

If the acquittal is overturned, the case will go back to an appellate court and Knox might have to return to Italy.

If she refuses, the Italian government could appeal to the U.S. government for her extradition.

But even if it does, Knox still not might end up before an Italian court.

U.S. officials might reject such a request because it violates the U.S. legal principle that a criminal defendant can't be tried twice on the same allegation, said Joey Jackson, a contributor for HLN's "In Session."

Italy lacks the absolute prohibition present in U.S. law preventing authorities from retying a criminal defendant who has been acquitted of a charge.

"We have principles that are well-founded within our Constitution, one of which is double jeopardy," he said. "So as a result of that, I think it would be highly objectionable for the United States to surrender someone to another country for which justice has already been administered and meted out. So I don't think or anticipate that that would happen."

Source: cnn

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