Olympia, WA – Amanda Knox, famously known for her wrongful conviction in Italy, recently testified in Olympia, advocating for more stringent interrogation laws in Washington State. The proposed bill, House Bill 1062, aims to outlaw deceptive practices by law enforcement during interrogations, particularly those that lead to false confessions and wrongful convictions.
Knox, a Seattle resident, spent almost four years in an Italian prison for a murder she did not commit. During her testimony on January 8, she shared her harrowing experience of being subjected to 53 hours of questioning over five days, without legal counsel, and in a foreign language. Knox recounted how police officers deceived her, claiming to have evidence and witnesses against her – a tactic she was unaware they could legally use. “These are people who I was raised to believe that I could trust,” Knox said.
The bill seeks to make statements obtained through deceptive means inadmissible in court. Currently, law enforcement officers can legally lie to suspects during interrogations, a practice Knox and other advocates believe leads to false confessions and wrongful convictions. Knox argues that if such laws had been in place in Italy, her ordeal might have been avoided.