Thursday, April 11, 2013

Knox Book Put On Hold In UK As Legal Implications Of Blood Money For Still-Accused Finally Sink In

Posted by Our Main Posters





There have always been several huge problems in the promotion of Amanda Knox.

One problem is that Knox is not the real victim in the case and a great deal of compassion still resides for Meredith. Earning windfall blood money from the cruel death of a claimed close friend is hardly a classy way to go. 

A second problem is that we are still only at the end of the second act of a three act play in terms of the trials and appeals, and the Italian Supreme Court in the third act to come will almost certainly be no gullible pushover. And a whining or inaccurate book or movie demonising Italy and Italians (as her complaints about Capanne already have done) might not help her legal prospects one little bit. 

A third problem is that Italy’s officialdom and its population tend to maintain a hard and unblinking belief in the evidence against Sollecito and Knox, especially as the million dollar PR campaign largely flew below the radar there and they saw much of the hard case and a callous Knox live on TV. For example in Florence and Milan....

*******

Guess when we first posted those paragraphs above? Actually we posted them fifteen months ago on 6 January 2012.

And finally today fifteen months later HarperCollins UK suspended their publication of Knox’s book. Can the HarperCollins US suspension of the book be far behind?

We are not particularly given to directing legal advice to Amanda Knox - we think she should rethink and answer all the open questions - but the leeching of Knox-Mellas blood money going back nearly five years is absolute anathema to Meredith’s family.

So we have posted five subsequent times, pointing out to the Knox-Melasses and Robert Barnett and Ted Simon what should have been very, very obvious to them when they did their due diligence in Italy on the book:

Publishing to impugn Italian justice officials while still accused in an ongoing legal process is a contempt of court felony in Italy.

Ask Raffael Sollecito. He is now under investigation by the Florence chief prosecutor and could face millions in damages and further years in prison. So could his publishers Simon & Schuster and his shadow-writer Andrew Gumbel.

Not to mention that Sollecito is probably wrecking any chances he had at the repeat of the appeal. Does Amanda Knox REALLY want to be in the same boat? And do her shadow-writer and her publishers too?

Here are our other previous posts on her book:



Below: The HarperCollins US publicist Tina Andreadis (aka Tina Eleni) participated in the very very very odd Twitter exchange at bottom. She seems unfamiliar with the concept of “contempt of court” and the criminal and civil nightmares headed Simon & Schuster’s and Sollcito’s way.

Perhaps Tina Andreadis was out of the loop when her publishing company did its due diligence. 






Thanks to our main poster Bedelia for this astonishing catch.

Posted by Our Main Posters on 04/11/13 at 02:08 AM in Amanda KnoxKnox-Marriott PR16 Interrogation hoaxAmanda Knox #2

Comments

The first and larger risk for Knox and HarperCollins is not of a suit for defamation. It is of an investigation to see whether the book merits contempt of court charges for attempting to throw an ongoing legal process.

The same sort of law applies in the UK which is why they have finally wisened up. 

We are told that approximately 60 passages in Sollecito’s book in which he mischaracterized the Italian system and accused many people of crimes are likely to result in charges. The investigation will conclude some time after mid-year.

This kind of heat is exactly not what Knox needs to be stirring up in the context of the appeal rerun.

Not appearing in court at the first hearing is a really bad idea. Facing the risk of an arrest warrant if she does turn up is a really bad idea. Making blood money out of a crime for which she is in effect still on trial is a really bad idea. Misconstruing of any evidence in the book as Sollecito did in his book is a really bad idea.

And now her publishers’ publicist is babbling insults?!

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/11/13 at 06:21 AM | #

Very interesting - feel like the tide is turning.  Why do I feel like the real truth of that night is going to emerge over the next year?  Someone has got to talk.  Some new details or evidence has got to emerge.

I was wondering what is going on with the investigation/trial for the claims of the police abuse?  If it is proven in court that there was no policewoman hitting AK, no deprivation of food and water, no extended 52 hours of questioning before the naming of Lumumba at the scene, doesn’t that play some big part in this retrial?  Or has that already happened more or less, since the calumny conviction was upheld?  I’m confused.

Posted by believing on 04/11/13 at 06:43 AM | #

The trial for accusing the police of “beating” her is upcoming - Knox must still face trial for this accusation.

The felony charge for falsely accusing Lumumba of murdering Meredith was recently finalized at Cassation: guilty as charged, and Knox was sentenced to 3 years in jail with additional monetary fines.

Posted by Fly By Night on 04/11/13 at 07:52 AM | #

“The Book” is written solely for the purpose of making money- a work of fiction by a creative artist (whatever that may mean). I do not think she will see much money anyway from the book (but anyway it will be more than 300 euro) but that is a completely different aspect altogether.

Most US publishers have deep pockets and aggressive lawyers but a cut in an English speaking country means something for business. The comment by TinaEleni is incomprehensible at best (you can figure out the worst).

I am of the opinion from the very beginning that AK was not being advised properly. Or, as it happens often, I am confusing plain old arrogance? Everything appears to be driven towards one and only goal: money.

It simply does not work that way.

Posted by chami on 04/11/13 at 08:27 AM | #

That tweet fromTina Andreadis is appalling. I keep re-reading it to be sure. I’ve never heard of anything so unprofessional and utterly rude. It would be the sort of reply that might come from a shrill Knoxite on an unmoderated and out of control Huffington Post thread. But why in the world would this Harper Collins PR employee present this to the world? Loss of control? Is she getting bombarded with people disgusted with the publication of this ‘thing’ and has she lost her professional composure?

Posted by carlos on 04/11/13 at 09:10 AM | #

This is such welcome news. Let’s hope that HC’s legal counsel in the US comes to the same conclusion. I don’t think it would occur to any of them to consider the moral issues at stake.

Posted by Skeptical Bystander on 04/11/13 at 09:16 AM | #

“Beating off bids from some 20 rival publishers, HarperCollins has paid her a sum thought to be in the region of $4 million – or some £2.5 million.”

Is that money already paid up front, based on a promise to write? Or is it to be paid only when the promise is fulfilled?

If the promise is not fulfilled, what redress does HC have?

If they have now decided not to publish in the UK - “on the advice of Counsel” - where’s the money?

Posted by Cardiol MD on 04/11/13 at 11:35 AM | #

No doubt the Harper’s/UK decision is significant, but does it foreshadow the same thing for Harper’s here?

Many in England will support Meredith’s case & presumably the Kerchers would be outraged at Knox’s self-defense prior to a second appeal.

The public stance in the US, I think, tends to believe in Knox’s innocence.  Has this greatly softened?

Interest is keen & if Knox & ghost writer have avoided criticism of Italian courts, it might be hard to attack her for offering a defense of her innocence (however falsely, as we may regard it.)

As to police beating: I have never found it hard to think that someone, at sometime, may have cuffed the back of her head.  Of course I don’t mean brutally but, despite her being unable or unwilling to name the policeman, that might be the true issue here.  And IF it happened (we don’t know that) would she necessarily know who it was?

This is not a defense of Amanda. It’s just that I don’t myself see a necessity for further publication delay stateside.

Posted by Ernest Werner on 04/11/13 at 04:08 PM | #

Hi Ernest.

There is no proof to the cuffing and many witnesses said it never happened. If you believe it do you also believe she was forced to “confess” and finger Patrick? She served a sentence for that crime. Not even Judge Hellmann believed her on that.

Her various defenses are very well known, and she has lawyers for that purpose. The book absolutely will make things worse for Knox at court. At minimum it is blood money by a still accused perp which no court in the world favors, which is very hurtful to the victim’s circle, and which in Italy is a crime. If she impugns anyone at all. or mistates any evidence, it gets worse. Read of the predicament Sollecito has placed himself in.

At the same time nobody in Italy to our knowledge is fighting to head off the book. The reaction seems only a group shrug. If RS and AK want to shoot themselves in the foot, both in terms of the rerun of the appeal and new charges, who on the government side would object to that?

It is Ghirga and Dalla Vedova that should be stepping in. Bongiono and Maori are already under possible threat, in the investigations under way into Sollecito.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/11/13 at 04:26 PM | #

@ Believing.

Hello once more. Just to focus upon ongoing events and to comment upon your first sentence. I too feel the tide is turning.

The obvious miscalculation of many including Tina Anreadis is that this site and the people who contribute to it will not shut up until these two murderers are brought to justice.

Every little bit helps because just like water drops on stone the water will eventually win. Not that Knox/Mellas/Fischer/Moore etc: are stone, far from it. But I will resist the desire to be very rude and not compare them to a large porcelain receptacle in my bathroom.

Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 04/11/13 at 05:28 PM | #

Wow!  The tide is turning indeed.

I wonder if it will actually see the light of day in the USA then?

Deep pockets?  So HC won’t feel the loss?  Surely not.  If they have already paid Knox they need to recoup.  Then what about Knox’s money pot?

Interesting turn of events.

Posted by thundering on 04/11/13 at 05:41 PM | #

There is no “public” stance on Knox. Nobody really cares. Since it didn’t happen in America like the Arias/Alexander case or the Casey Anthony case, it might as well have happened on Mars.

The people in America who are interested in anything outside the borders of the US, are those who are interested in global politics, the global economy, North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria, etc. not the trial for murder of a single American woman.

The impression given by “the media” is that Amanda Knox is innocent. But that is just a self-serving package deal made between the Knox-Mellases, the Marriott PR firm, HarperCollins, and ABCNews.

As Skeptical Bystander so correctly states, these people are not considering any moral issues of right and wrong, they are blindly and arrogantly doing what they think is in their best interest.

As Peter has repeatedly tried to warn them, the strategy that has been employed, while not only extremely immoral and hurtful to the family of the victim, is self-destructive at best. If they continue, it really is a lose-lose situation for all of them both money-wise and court-wise.

The strange and hostile responses of HarperCollins US publicist Tina Andreadis and Nina Burleigh is evidence of defensive behavior that betrays an all too personal stake in the proceedings. As justice unfolds in this case, they are realizing they bet on the wrong horse and that bitter awareness is seeping through their comments.

Best thing for Diane Sawyer’s reputation is to hold a round-table discussion with many well-informed with the evidence and Italy’s legal system and not include any PR shills spouting the same old lies. Cancel the rehearsed lies, the prepared answers, the looks of concern for Knox’s suffering, and the book promotion. Cancel the infomercial!

How about: Earth Shattering News! We’ve been snookered by a Public Relations company into giving publicity to a murderer! And some in depth, behind the scenes coverage of how a network of people were paid to lie on TV and give their “expert opinions” in a murder case in another country in an attempt to sway public opinion.

But I doubt this will happen, contracts have been signed and all, money has changed hands. Best to just cancel it as quietly as possible and explain that upon further review, it was not the feel-good story that it purported to be.

Posted by bedelia on 04/11/13 at 06:09 PM | #

Great great comment by Bedelia who is credited in the post for spotting the Tina Andreadis tweets.

Yummi has pointed out that if AK no-shows at the opening of the appeal that is close to contempt of court and could hurt her chances no-end.

But having an inflammatory book out might make her more sure not to show up. You cant make this stuff up.

Conjecture is on in Italy as to precisely when arrest warrants could be issued for RS and AK. That might be minutes away or at the other extreme it might never happen.

A nasty book moves the odds.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/11/13 at 06:15 PM | #

It will be interesting to see what the contents of the book will be now that her conviction for accusing Patrick has been confirmed and she is a convicted felon and the case has gone back to the second phase ( appeal )  she surely can’t go into detail about the night of the murder and that is the only reason I would think anyone would even consider buying the Stupid bloody book. Just my opinion of course.

I have tweeted the link to this excellent article to the usual Knox media cheerleaders.

Posted by Jeffski1 on 04/11/13 at 06:54 PM | #

Hi Jeffski.

Great point. Remember Sollecito made around TWO HUNDRED departures in his own book from the trial record and from his own defense positions.

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmksollecitosbook

Talk about a shooting fish in a barrel situation for the prosecution which he has created for this next appeal.  Will Knox now do the same?

How will she account for the false “confession” that you point to there?

1) If she says police pressure never happened (as even Hellmann believed, hence the sentence of three years) she could get a life sentence because she has nothing left. (Cassation clearly expects this.)

2) If she says police pressure DID happen and she was interrogated for hours and hours, she will be investigated for contempt of court for accusing officers of crimes. Then she could get seriously hit for that.

No way out. Well, except tank the book.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/11/13 at 07:08 PM | #

Tensed Vedova at 0:58

“For, for the moment . . . .”
“She is a free, free citizen . . .”

http://media.theage.com.au/selections/knox-will-fight-again—but-not-in-italy-4143224.html

Posted by Helder Licht on 04/11/13 at 07:12 PM | #

@ bedelia
Hi there. It occurred to me that if any CNN exec for example read your post it just might catch. That would be a tremendous program. Of course you won’t manage to keep the shill hysteria out of it but some common sense debate would work wonders. Now that’s a program I would watch.

Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 04/11/13 at 08:51 PM | #

“How about: Earth Shattering News! We’ve been snookered by a Public Relations company into giving publicity to a murderer! And some in depth, behind the scenes coverage of how a network of people were paid to lie on TV and give their “expert opinions” in a murder case in another country in an attempt to sway public opinion.”

I love that idea Bedilia! That’s the story “waiting to be heard.” Hint, hint…  I know there are some terrific writers here who are eminently qualified…The story of how the PR which seemed so obvious and so “wrong” to many of us was able to hoodwink so much of the media and public perception.

And while I expect that greed plays into this story pretty heavily, and while I also expect that high profile and high powered publishing firms and media companies can become insular in their perspective and scope, (in other words, the competition for the interview trumps all else,) I still don’t understand how lawyers and executives whose JOB is to protect the interests of the company can be so… well… stupid.

I have a friend who went into publishing for Random House and she was the brightest person I’ve ever known. Brown magna cum- laude and competitive as can be. And she had to fight for her opportunity! Surely these people can’t be stupid! And yet…

Anyway, I expect the story has many layers and would be a fascinating read. Morality, greed, hubris… and the heroic thread of sanity triumphing in the end. 😊

Posted by carlos on 04/11/13 at 08:58 PM | #

Hi carlos and bedelia again

Yes you are both right but to repeat myself. After the Arias trial is over then you can bet that the networks will be looking for something else to boost their ratings. Roll on!!!

Posted by Grahame Rhodes on 04/11/13 at 09:08 PM | #

Skeptical Bystander has written an excellent article titled, HarperCollins UK Suspends Publication of Knox ” Memoir”,  http://skepbystander.blogspot.ca/

Posted by True North on 04/11/13 at 11:17 PM | #

Peter, thank you for your response above.

Posted by Ernest Werner on 04/12/13 at 12:31 AM | #

I was reviewing the analysis of RS’s book and I’m really astonished he would go ahead to write it with all those discrepancies from what they said before, knowing Italian law and that their acquittal could be overturned.  It just provided plenty if fodder for this retrial.  For example the discrepancies between his description of what transpired at the cottage before they became concerned about Meredith.  Also about Filomena’s door being open or closed when they were first there which would be key to being alarmed about the disarray and broken window.  And to say they peeked through the keyhole and only saw Meredith’s purse?  Why would she have left the house without her purse?  Very strange that he would rush to publish this before Amanda’s book knowing she might also say something different and then their joint alibi falls apart.  He’s either very egotistical or naive and how could his family not have influenced him to keep quiet until it was all over?

Posted by believing on 04/12/13 at 03:19 AM | #

Wonderful news, I can now walk down the high street without the fear of having to see AK’s emotionless face staring back at me.

Posted by Urbanist on 04/12/13 at 09:38 AM | #

With the publication of the book being suspended in the uk, I have a fear that there may be some groundless criticism of the Kercher family and/or Meredith, (which I would find entirely disgusting). If this is the case, would the family be able to pursue Knox in the American courts

Posted by starsdad on 04/12/13 at 11:22 AM | #

Hi Starsdad.

Meredith’s family have said a few times they have no wish for independent legal action. The legal moves by those impugned against Sollecito mentioned in this post certainly wont stop there.

Candace Dempsey was the first to encourage hate on her site (her Seattle PI blog) and it spread from there to the sites of Bruce Fischer, Steve Moore, Doug Bremner, and especially Frank Sforza. From there it spilled over into festering places like Ground Report and Nina Burleigh’s book.

Whether the the Amanda Knox book comes out in the US or doesnt come out, my guess is this is the last of the organized PR because, as Nina Burleigh just found out, it is driving people to see the truth and causing as much backlash as empathy for Knox which she will have to contend with for life. 

Meredith’s family clearly have the facts on their side as Cassation just ruled (they very much liked Massei and didnt like Hellmann at all) and the courts are relentlessly seeking justice for Meredith. More and more of the public in UK and US see the Italians had no motive for getting it wrong.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/12/13 at 01:18 PM | #

An inaccurate report if AK & RS’s legal status on this report:

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/still-waiting-to-be-heard-amanda-knox-memoir-put-on-hold-in-uk-over-libel-law-fears-8569553.html

An example of lazy reporting me thinks. As well as bringing out Michelle Moore and another “I’m shocked to find there’s gambling going on in this establishment” groupie, Bucketoftea has done gallant work in arguing each point raised.  Just note how many people have voted for the comments clearly voicing disgust that AK both got away with murder and is standing to make a profit from the book deal.  Profit from crime is an absolute abomination in the minds of many in the UK and is illegal.  Utter revulsion for AK’s actions is evident in many of the comments - let’s hope for her own safety she doesn’t plan a book tour.

Pity the journalist didn’t make more of an effort to get the facts right.

Posted by TruthWillOut on 04/12/13 at 05:07 PM | #

And apparently no one has told Amazon UK that the book isn’t being released:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Waiting-Be-Heard-A-Memoir/dp/0062217208/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1365775991&sr=8-1&keywords=waiting+to+be+heard

Wonder what will happen about those advance orders already placed?

Posted by TruthWillOut on 04/12/13 at 05:14 PM | #

The above image of Tina Andreadis..
Would the photo have been taken at the Vashon Island (sorry if incorrect spelling) shindig?
Just curious as there are hunting trophies on the walls there too.
Mmmm…

Posted by DF2K on 04/14/13 at 09:04 PM | #

There are several good articles in the Repubblican newspaper which luckily now I can translate from Italian into pretty good English using Google translate.  I’m not sure if you posted these links before but there is some interesting details in the stories that I hadn’t read before, certainly more information than is in any US news article:

http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/03/26/news/caso_meredith_annullate_assoluzioni-55370908/?ref=search

http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/03/27/news/il_racconto_di_raffaele_sollecito-55492414/?ref=search

http://www.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/03/26/news/meredith_english-55383485/?ref=search

http://bari.repubblica.it/cronaca/2013/03/28/news/sollecito-55512699/?ref=search

Posted by believing on 04/15/13 at 07:39 AM | #

“Bob Graham” may be a Knox-Marriott dirty trick.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2308527/Amanda-Knox-Her-account-Italian-prison-hell.html#ixzz2QSKDbHcw

The Machine took down one of “Bob Graham’s” early assignments as a highly misleading PR shill here (we cant find any image of him). This was 3/4 of the way through the trial.

http://truejustice.org/ee/index.php?/tjmk/comments/report_by_bob_graham_in_the_daily_express_close_to_breaking_new_record/

We suspected “Bob Graham” was someone based in the US but have never nailed that down. There seems to be no freelance Bob Graham in the UK or US and the one in Canada seems not the one.

Quite possibly “he” is a secretary in Marriott’s office.

Posted by Peter Quennell on 04/16/13 at 02:22 PM | #

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