Court Overturns Conviction of Berlusconi in Sex Case

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The New York Times

ROME — An appeals court in Milan on Friday overturned the conviction of the former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, for paying for sex with a minor, and revoked his seven-year prison sentence and a lifetime ban from holding public office.

Mr. Berlusconi, 77, was found guilty just over a year ago of paying for sex with a young woman named Karima el-Mahroug, nicknamed “Ruby Heart-Stealer,” when she was still a minor, and abusing his office to cover it up.

He appealed the conviction, and the Milanese court ruled in his favor, dealing Mr. Berlusconi a legal victory that strengthens his waning position within the Italian political arena.

The former prime minister was not present in court on Friday; he was in Cesano Boscone, about seven miles outside Milan, at a nursing home where he is serving a year of community service assisting Alzheimer’s patients one day a week, a sentence he received in a separate conviction for tax fraud. Mr. Berlusconi left the care home without speaking to reporters, but he rolled down the window of his car to shake the hand of a supporter who yelled out: “Justice is done!”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/world/europe/court-overturns-conviction-of-berlusconi-in-sex-case.html?smid=fb-nytimes&WT.z_sma=WO_COC_20140718&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1388552400000&bicmet=1420088400000&_r=1

[valerief]

1. Quel surprise.

[sharp_stick]

2. There is very little around

anymore that is more entertaining than the weird and labyrinthine workings of the Italian "legal" system.

[billhicks76]

3. Bribes

The guy is a reptile-like scumbag.

[Blue_Tires]

4. Seems legit

[StevieM]

5. But of course, they will fight to extradite Amanda Knox over her conviction in that kangaroo court.

eom

[JackRiddler]

10. Who?

[StevieM]

11. Amanda Knox. You haven't heard of her or the circus that was her trial?

Here is some basic info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foxy_Knoxy

[47of74]

6. Fuck

[Kingofalldems]

7. Oh yeah, I remember when he was re-elected.

You seemed quite excited as I recall.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Hilarious! Who else on earth would support that primitive, pointless, fascist clown? n/t

[blackspade]

9. Does this mean overturned 'overturned'?

Or will there be a new trial?
The Italian legal system makes no sense to me especially after the Amanda Knox/boyfriend case.
It seems that every time there is a verdict overturned the persecution makes some new shit up to justify the charges...

[Octafish]

12. Justice is ''done'' all right.

Long done.

[nomorenomore08]

13. "...revoked his... lifetime ban from holding public office."

So we may yet see him as Prime Minister again?