Do You Believe Amanda Knox?

Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to Italian jurors in Perugia, Italy, tearfully telling them that she is innocent of the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher in 2007. After having spent four years in prison, Amanda Knox will have to wait to learn if her plea made any impression on the six-person jury. She has been sentenced to a total of 26 years in prison for the sexual assault and murder of her British roommate which prosecutors have alleged was committed with the help of Knox's then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, who was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder. Italy has no death penalty, so prosecutors could not seek a steeper penalty. Today, an Amanda Knox acquittal would strike down the previous conviction, or it will be upheld, and she will serve the remainder of her sentence.

Unlike some other recent headline-grabbing trials, the trial of Amanda Knox has been moderately low-key. The recent acquittal of Casey Anthony had the effect of galvanizing opinions against her, but Knox teeters on the line between people believing her when she says "I am innocent" and people believing in the evidence presented by the prosecution.

In many ways, it would be easy to step back from the situation and pronounce armchair judgement. It's easy to sit comfortably by and say that an Amanda Knox acquittal or an Amanda Knox conviction is the only way to lean. It's unfortunate that the media today, whether you call it politically-biased or just junk, chooses to follow a case like Amanda Knox and attempt to sway viewers' opinions. Of course, that seems to be the case with practically every major news story that comes along, isn't it? Politicians enter legislation for approval, the media (on both sides, mind you,) gets hold of it, and attempts to cement public opinion one way or another. Amanda Knox is no different. The problem that exists is that there is too much media coverage- consideration must be taken for the potential that Knox is, in fact, innocent. The problem is that after so much media coverage, there's little chance that this girl could return to anything resembling a normal life. Again, take Casey Anthony for an example. Even if she were innocent, setting foot into even a grocery store today could be disastrous. No less than throwing someone in jail is the shunning of public opinion.

There will in all likelihood be an outcry today as the conviction of Amanda Knox is either upheld or put down. One only wonders how long this sensationalism will go on before someone gets hurt.