Lalrp.org: 
The 2 males, who had been mates in northern California earlier than they traveled to Italy collectively, initially obtained life sentences, Italy’s most extreme penalty. An appeals court docket final yr upheld their convictions, however diminished the sentences to 24 years for Elder and 22 years for Natale-Hjorth.
The Italian authorized system permits defendants one other enchantment to Italy’s Supreme Courtroom of Cassation, which heard some seven hours of arguments earlier than going into deliberations Wednesday night. The court docket can both uphold the convictions or ship the case again for a retrial if it finds errors within the guidelines of legislation.
Natale-Hjorth and Elder’s attorneys argued that there have been flaws within the prosecution’s reconstruction of occasions from the evening Carabinieri Vice Brigadier Mario Cerceillo Rega was stabbed 11 instances close to the lodge the place the 2 American vacationers had been staying.
The protection additionally claims Cerceillo Rega’s companion lied when he mentioned the 2 officers confirmed the younger males their badges to establish themselves as legislation enforcement.
In the course of the unique trial, the defendants testified that neither officer recognized himself as a police officer and so they that thought the Italians wearing informal summer season garments had been thugs.
Elder testified that he pulled out a knife he carried for his personal safety as Cerciello Rega tried to strangle him and repeatedly stabbed the officer to interrupt free.
Natale-Hjorth testified that he grappled with Cerciello Rega’s companion and was unaware of the stabbing when he ran again to the lodge.
In Italy, an confederate may be charged with homicide with out straight collaborating in a slaying.
The plainclothes officers had been responding to a reported extortion try allegedly concocted by the Individuals after they made a botched try to purchase cocaine a couple of hours earlier in Rome’s Trastevere nightlife district.
