appeal news stories on Newser

Convicted Murderer Won't Get New Trial...

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:45:33 CDT

The medical examiner changed her opinion on the cause of a toddler's death, but the Supreme Court won't consider giving the man convicted in the child's death a new trial. The high court today refused, without comment, to hear an appeal from Neil Hampton Robbins, convicted in the death of...

Italy Court Frees Amanda Knox

Polly Davis Doig — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:58:28 CDT

Amanda Knox's four-year quest to prove her innocence in the murder of Meredith Kercher has come to its dramatic conclusion, with an Italian appeals court today overturning her 26-year prison sentence. Knox appeared extremely emotional while awaiting the verdict, and broke down completely as a judge announced it, reports the...

DNA Experts: Knox Evidence 'Not Reliable'

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:30:06 CDT

Independent experts are disputing much of the forensic evidence collected against Amanda Knox, saying in a report today that some of the DNA traces used to convict Knox and Raffaele Sollecito may have been contaminated. Knox's defense had eagerly been awaiting the review's conclusions, and hope it boosts her chances...

Convicts: Knox Wasn't at Murder Scene

Polly Davis Doig — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 09:01:38 CDT

A parade of convicted criminals are today trying to do what Amanda Knox's defense could not: Convince a Perugia court that the American exchange student had nothing to do with the murder of British roommate Meredith Kercher. Mario Alessi today testified that another man convicted in Kercher's murder, Rudy Guede,...

Citing Health, Mladic Appeals Extradition

Kate Schwartz — Mon, 30 May 2011 16:18:06 CDT

Ratko Mladic's lawyer today appealed the war crimes suspect's extradition order, calling Mladic physically and mentally unfit for trial. The New York Times reports that the move will likely cause a brief delay in Mladic's transfer from Serbia to The Hague; if the appeal is denied, he'll likely depart in...

Cheerleader Who Refused to Root for Assailant Loses

John Johnson — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:13:05 CDT

A cheerleader in Texas who folded her hands rather than root for the player she accused of rape has lost her bid to have the Supreme Court hear her case, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . The girl sued the school after it kicked her off the cheerleading squad over her...

US Reluctantly Defends Federal Ban on Gay Marriage

Matt Cantor — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:35:22 CST

A Justice Department filing yesterday backed the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. The move appeals a federal judge’s ruling calling DOMA unconstitutional, TPM reports. But the administration asserted that it doesn’t support the act; the filing merely adhered to the executive...

Amanda Knox Appeal Begins

Nick McMaster — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 14:02:25 CST

Round 2 begins: Amanda Knox appeared back in court in Italy yesterday to begin her appeal of a murder conviction in the slaying of Meredith Kercher, the New York Times reports. By the looks of things, attention hasn't waned: “We have to get used to the idea that this is...

Warren Jeffs Gets New Trial in Rape Case

M. Morris — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:34:55 CDT

Polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs, who has been serving 10 years to life for being an accessory to rape , was granted a new trial today, the Deseret News reports. The Utah Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the jury instructions delivered during Jeffs' 2007 trial were faulty. "We regret the effect...