Amanda Knox Alert: American Judge Accused of Impropriety, Michael Heavey Ethical Violations Claimed

Washington is at the forefront of questionable activities again, according to the Seattle Times, but this time it is Washington the state and the state's most notorious resident Amanda Knox. An American judge, Michael Heavey, is the real focus of the scandal this time, but convicted murderess and Washington state native Amanda Knox is at the heart of the matter.

Washington's King County Superior Court Judge Michael Heavey is accused of unethical conduct becoming his office, according to the Seattle Times and Seattlepi.com. Heavey, in an effort to aid one of his area's own, used his position as judge in King County to appeal to the Italian judges overseeing the Knox murder case in Italy.

Judge Heavey did this by sending several letters to three judges on the convicted murderess' behalf, according to documented records. Judge Heavey is said to have also used court staff and his judicial stationary to prepare the personal letters in support of Knox, according to Seattlepi.com.

Washington Judicial Conduct Commission Accuses Judge of Misconduct

The Washington Judicial Conduct Commission accused the judge of violating the ethical rules which prohibit the use of political office for the furtherance of personal gain or influence. Judge Michael Heavey responded to the accusations of the public and the Commission verbally and formally.

Amanda Knox is, "a Seattle girl," Judge Heavey stated in one such verbal response, insinuating that as a Seattle resident she had every right to expect him to contact foreign judicial authorities on her behalf and tell them she is innocent, even if he cannot prove it.

Judicial Protocols Breached

But in America, which includes the state of Washington, judges don't attempt contact or attempt to influence other judges about the cases they are hearing and ruling on. It is unethical here; it is unethical in Italy too, which is at the heart of the Washington Judicial Commission's concerns in this case, it appears.

Using his public office as an American judge to attempt to influence the Italian justices, without providing them with any evidence to support his advocacy, makes him appear to be unethical at best and overstepping his bounds in international relations at worst.

It is the State Department's job to initiate any contact with the Italian justices in this regard, not a judge from Washington. And even Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, has been reluctant to go too far in that regard.

Judge Michael Heavey's Daughters Fellow Seattle Prep Students

Judge Heavey's support of Amanda Knox verbally, and in written form, might garner less eyebrow raising if it were not obvious that the judge is operating from a personal desire to see the Seattle, Washington girl free more than any proof of innocence or new evidence to support such a premise being made.

Heavey's comments about Knox being, "a Seattle girl," and his disclosure that his three daughters had also attended Seattle Prep (where Amanda Knox went to school), go a long way in painting the judge as being a bit biased in his actions of support. Aligning himself with the "Friends of Amanda" movement is yet another show of bias in this regard.

Judicial Commission to Determine Judge's Future

A hearing on the matter will be undertaken in the future by Washington to conclude if Judge Michael Heavey's use of judicial office staff and stationary, in order to advocate on behalf of convicted murderess Amanda Knox, was unethical or not.

Amanda Knox remains in a prison in Perugia, Italy, where she is serving a 26 year life sentence in the brutal slaying of her roommate Meredith Kercher.

Amanda Knox's parents are now the subject of a slander suit by Italian authorities for comments they made to the press about police brutality (which have since been proven to be untrue in an Italian court of law). Thus Judge Michael Heavey may have inadvertently risked his professional career needlessly by going out on a limb for his daughters' school chum and several state constituents.
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Sources

Seattle Times
Seattlepi.com