Lawyers for Amanda Knox are back in front of an Italian court this week for the first time since the former University of Washington student was cleared of murder charges in October. According to Reuters, Knox is asking an appeals court to overturn her conviction for slander.
Knox was convicted of slander for statements she made in 2007 while under police questions. Her comments led police to falsely implicate bar owner Patrick Lumumba in the murder of her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox has said police pressure led her to accuse Lumumba, who was quickly arrested and then cleared of involvement in the crime.
Lumumba successfully sued Knox for slander after being released from prison. Now Knox’s attorneys are looking to overturn that conviction as well.
Knox family spokesman David Marriot said it wasn’t clear yet whether the Italian appeals court would consider her case or issue a ruling.
Knox was released from Italian prison in October when the court overturned her 2009 conviction for murdering Kercher in a brutal stabbing that police believe was part of a sexual assault. Her then-boyfriend, Rafael Sollecito, was also cleared of charges.
The only person left convicted for the murder of 21-year-old Kercher is Rudy Guede, an Ivorian drifter. Investigators still believe the murder was the work of more than one person, however.
Kercher was found half-naked, with more than 40 stab wounds and a deep gash in her throat. Her body was left in the apartment she shared with Knox in Perugia, Reuters said.
As for Knox herself, she has largely avoided the public eye since returning home to Seattle with her family.
