Amanda Knox

Support for Knox and Sollecito
Family and supporters of Knox dispute the initial guilty verdicts and maintain the innocence of Knox and Sollecito. Members of Knox's family have spoken with a number of journalists and have appeared on several TV talk shows, such as the Oprah Winfrey Show on 23 February 2010. Knox's family have incurred significant debts from legal fees and travel related to the trial. Funds have been established for Knox and Sollecito to help with these expenses. Various benefits have also been run to help raise money to support Knox.
In late 2008, a number of Seattle-area residents, including lawyer Anne Bremner and King County Superior Court judge Mike Heavey, founded the Friends of Amanda in order to provide support for Knox. Over the following year they would go on to hold fundraisers to pay for Knox' defense, lobby lawmakers, and conduct public relations activities. News reports credit them with success in turning media focus towards the conduct of the prosecution, especially that of Mignini. However, Heavey was later accused of violating Washington state's Code of Judicial Conduct for his letters to members of the Italian judiciary on behalf of Knox; the charges characterised the letters as an attempt to use his office to influence private interests in judicial proceedings.