Friday, December 4, 2009 3:30 p.m PT

Amanda Knox found guilty of murdering Meredith Kercher

Amanda Knox, center, is escorted away from court at the end of the final day of her murder trial in Perugia, Italy. Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito are charged with the murder of Meredith Kercher. (Photo by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

Amanda Knox, the American student, has been found guilty of murdering the British student Meredith Kercher at the flat they shared in the town of Perugia.

Ms Knox, a 22-year-old American student, and her Italian former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 25, were convicted of the murder, following an 11-month trial.

Ms Kercher’s body was found in the bedroom of the cottage on November 2, 2007. She had been stabbed in the throat. Ms Knox and Mr Sollecito had claim they spent the night of the murder at his flat smoking cannabis and watching films.

But a jury decided that the pair, along with the already-convicted Rudy Guede, were guilty.

She was sentenced to 26 years in prison, and he received 25.

(Franco Origlia/Getty Images) Amanda Knox is driven into court at midnight to receive her sentence

The verdict draws to an end a trial which had many aspects that has enthralled observers.

It had a varied cast of characters: Ms Kercher, attractive and bright, with an English father and a mother of Asian origin; Sollecito, Knox’s boyfriend, a bespectacled IT student from a well-to-do family in Bari who she thought looked like Harry Potter but who had a collection of knives and manga comics; Guede, who came to Perugia as a boy with his father from the Ivory Coast but was soon abandoned and taken in by a local family who brought him up only to see him turn later to a life of petty crime.

But it is Knox who became the focus of attention from the moment she appeared on the scene, first as a witness, then as a suspect and now as a convicted murderer. She was, one of her lawyers said, “submerged in a media tsunami”.

In his summing-up, Giuliano Mignini, the chief prosecutor, told the court: “It is Amanda who started the fight, which triggered an unstoppable crescendo of violence, and it is Amanda who plunged the knife into Meredith’s neck.”

She nursed a hatred for her English flatmate and dominated her boyfriend, who did her bidding. “Perhaps there was a discussion, a fight over money or behaviour that got out of control. Or perhaps after smoking hash they decided to include Meredith in an extreme sexual game, and it was the moment for Knox to vindicate herself in a situation that, bit by bit, got more and more violent.”

Knox was mostly composed during the trial, often cheerful, but at this account she wept.

More to follow from TimesOnline…

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Previous Posts:

Amanda Knox awaits verdict in Kercher murder case

Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury yesterday.

The jury in the trial of two students accused of killing Briton Meredith Kercher in Italy has been sent out to consider its verdict.

Prosecutors in Miss Knox’s and Mr Sollecito’s trial say Guede was only one of three killers who acted together, under “the fumes of drugs and possibly alcohol”.

They claim Miss Kercher was stabbed to death after what had started as an extreme sex game.

Miss Kercher’s family arrived at court on Friday, as the jury continued to deliberate, amid a flurry of activity from awaiting journalists and photographers.

Earlier, Miss Knox’s sister, Deanna, said as she arrived at court that she was nervous about the outcome and had had a sleepless night.

“The wait is going to be awful. All I want to do is take her home so I’ve got a good feeling about it. I’m still nervous.”

Miss Knox’s father, Curt Knox, insisted: “Our attorneys have more than presented evidence that would show that she’s innocent.”

KEY EVENTS IN CASE 2 November 2007: Miss Kercher found with throat cut 6 November 2007: Police arrest Amanda Knox, Rafael Sollecito and bar owner Patrick Lumumba 19 November 2007: A fourth suspect, Rudy Guede is arrested. Mr Lumumba is released 28 October 2008: Judge Micheli jails Guede for 30 years for killing Miss Kercher 16 January 2009: Trial of Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito begins 18 November 2009: Guede’s appeal hearing opens 4 December 2009: Judge and jury retire to consider case

On Thursday, Miss Knox, who has been the subject of intense media interest, told the jury in Italian she should not be branded a killer.

“The first thing to say is that I am not calm,” she said.

“I am afraid of being defined as something I am not and by actions that are not mine.

“I’m afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced on to my skin.”

She added she was “confused, sad, frustrated” about the two years she had already been in jail awaiting trial.

Miss Kercher had been sharing a house with Miss Knox, from Seattle, while spending a year abroad in Perugia, an Umbrian hilltop town.

Prosecutors claim Mr Sollecito held Miss Kercher down while his then-girlfriend stabbed her to death.

Mr Sollecito told the court on Thursday that no motive had emerged for his alleged role in the murder.

“I am not violent, I never have been. I wasn’t at the house [where Miss Kercher died] that night,” he said.

However, prosecutor Manuela Comodi argued that “we live in an age of violence with no motive” and suggested the reason for the murder was a mystery.

“We don’t know what sparks these things,” she said, citing DNA evidence allegedly linking Mr Sollecito to the crime.

ITALIAN LEGAL PROCESS •Decision made by eight-strong jury, composed of six lay people and two judges •Discussions with trial judge before verdict announced •No explanation for verdict will be provided immediately, instead within 90 days •Anyone convicted has 90 days to appeal. If not, the sentence becomes definitive •Appeals heard at the regional Assisi Appeals Court, or at Italy’s highest court, the Corte Suprema di Cassazione, for final verdict

She wrapped a white bra around a microphone in the courtroom to demonstrate how his DNA could have ended up on Miss Kercher’s bra strap and not on the rest of the garment.

During her defence, Miss Knox had testified that she spent the night of the murder with Mr Sollecito at his flat, where they smoked marijuana, had sex and watched a movie.

In his closing arguments in the trial, her lawyer Mr Dalla Vedova told the court: “There are still many doubts”.

He said claims Miss Knox’s DNA was found on the handle of the knife alleged to have been used to kill Miss Kercher should be discounted.

The defence has argued the shape of the knife did not match Ms Kercher’s wounds.

Mr Dalla Vedova also dismissed a prosecution claim that his client resented Miss Kercher for allegedly saying she was promiscuous.

source: BBC News 4 december 2009

CBS News Videos on YouTube:

Amanda Takes the Stand

Knox Parents await Verdict

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Amanda Knox talks with one of her lawyers during the closing arguments of her trial for murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox asked a jury not to put the “mask of a murderer” on her as she and her boyfriend made emotional final appeals denying the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Amanda Knox tells an Italian court she is ‘no assassin’

Court Video AFP By ANDREA VOGT SPECIAL TO SEATTLEPI.COM Amanda Knox, who is accused of murdering British student Meredith Kercher, has told a court she does not want to be branded an assassin. Her voice trembled as she addressed the jury in Italy that is expected to deliver its verdict later this week. Earlier it heard Miss Kercher, 21, of Coulsdon, Surrey, had been killed as she had known her three “attackers”. Miss Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 25, deny charges of murder and sexual violence. Rudy Guede, 22, from Ivory Coast, was jailed for 30 years after he was convicted in a separate trial. He has launched an appeal against his conviction. I’m afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced on to my skin Amanda Knox Miss Knox, who has been in jail for two years, told the court people often asked her how she managed to stay so calm. Speaking in Italian she said: “The first thing to say is that I am not calm. “I am afraid of being defined as something I am not and by actions that are not mine. “I’m afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced on to my skin.” She added she was “confused, sad, frustrated” about the length of time she had been in jail. Prosecutors say Miss Kercher was murdered in a drug-fuelled sexual assault. The Leeds University student was found dead in her flat in Perugia, central Italy, in November 2007. Is the behaviour of Amanda Knox at the police station logical when Meredith’s body was still warm? Francesco Maresca, Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca, the Kercher family’s lawyer, said Miss Kercher had been killed because her attackers had known they would otherwise be punished for what they had done. “Meredith was killed because she knew all three of her attackers,” he said. “The murder happened step by step, sexual violence and then murder.” He said Miss Knox’s and Mr Sollecito’s behaviour was evidence of their guilt. Miss Knox reportedly turned cartwheels at the police station while she was waiting to be questioned about the murder of her housemate. “Is the behaviour of Amanda Knox at the police station logical when Meredith’s body was still warm?” said Mr Maresca. “Is it logical to say that this murder was carried out by just one person? “Is it logical that these young people had their phones switched off on that night when young people usually have their phones on the whole time?”

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Amanda Knox lawyer makes emotional plea for acquittal

From Hada Messia, CNN
December 2, 2009 3:21 p.m. EST

AFP/Amanda Knox is escorted into the courtroom Wednesday in Perugia, Italy.

Perugia, Italy (CNN) — A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion. Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, at the villa they shared in Italy.

“We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda,” Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation.

“Meredith was my friend,” he quoted Knox as saying, rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate, who was fatally stabbed in November 2007.

Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher, and two men — Knox’s then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 26, and acquaintance Rudy Guede — sexually assaulted her.

The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito’s house had Knox’s DNA on the handle and Kercher’s on the blade, among other pieces of evidence.

But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday.

He attacked the way police and prosecutors had treated the defendant, giving them a symbolic “red card” — a referee’s sign in soccer that a player is being expelled from the game for breaking the rules.

Ghirga concluded an emotional oration — sobbing as he came to the end — by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox, because her mother asked him to request it, because her family asked it.

Knox’s father, Curt, said Wednesday she had been a victim of “character assassination,” and expressed hope she would be found not guilty.

Members of Kercher’s family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case.

But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of “lynching” the Italian police who worked on the case.

He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga’s arguments Wednesday.

And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty. Italy does not have the death penalty.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday, after the prosecution completes its summary.

Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution’s theory doesn’t fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty.

Calling Knox a victim herself, Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder, leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime.

The lawyer showed photos published in the media, purportedly showing the crime scene, that weren’t authentic — including a photo of the bathroom — and said false allegations and rumors about Knox’s character created a bias from the start.

Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder.

In preliminary hearings, Mignini argued Knox, Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher’s throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox’s attention. In recent days, Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates.

Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed, claiming the two women were friends.

Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed.

The defense has argued that Guede, who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction, was the sole killer. The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher’s murder.

Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene.

As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial, he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox’s DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon. The defense has said the knife doesn’t match Kercher’s wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet, and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive.

During the first day of closing arguments for Knox’s lawyers, della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty.

He told the jury they needed to be “morally certain of their decision.”

“If you have the minimum of doubts, you must absolve this young girl — a girl that is merely 22 years old,” he said.

Knox and Sollecito, who both deny any role in the murder, have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence.

Their trial began in January.

CNN’s Mallory Simon contributed to this report.

YouTube Video – Dec.2 Perugia, Italy- Amanda Knox Trial

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Last updated 2:43 p.m. PT

Amanda Knox a victim, targeted for being a foreigner, attorneys say

By ANDREA VOGT
SPECIAL TO SEATTLEPI.COM

PERUGIA , Italy — Calling murder suspect Amanda Knox a victim herself, defense attorneys said Tuesday that the young Seattle student was unfairly singled out by homicide investigators because she was a foreigner who was different.

Knox, 22, of West Seattle, is on trial along with her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the slaying of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, on November 1, 2007.

Amanda Knox’s mother, Edda Mellas, speaks with her defense attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, in Perugia, Italy. Closing arguments are taking place in Knox’s trial for the 2007 murder of her roommate.

Prosecutors allege that Knox, Sollecito and a third man already convicted for his role in the crime, Rudy Guede, physically, then sexually assaulted Kercher after a fight between the two women got out of hand. But in closing arguments that began Tuesday for Knox’s defense, lawyers said she was unfair targeted because of her odd character and what followed in the days after was a “tsunami” of police and judicial oversight and media pressure that eventually overcame her.

“The truth comes out in a trial, and we have been patiently waiting for this moment, especially Amanda Knox, who has been sitting in jail with patience and determination, waiting to get her life back,” said Carlo Dalla Vedova, of Rome.

“Amanda Knox never should have been arrested. And everything that has happened since then has been part of an attempt to maintain an accusation, that, bit by bit, has disintegrated.”

It began with “psychosomatic” observations of one powerful cop, he said, Edgardo Giobbi, the former director of the violent crimes division of the central operations unit in Rome, who on “investigator’s instincts” suspected Knox from the beginning.

“Immediately after the crime, they focused attention on her,” said Dalla Vedova. “They started recording her conversations. They were quick to say ‘case closed,’ but it was a mistake the police made in the beginning, then they couldn’t let it go.”

He played tapes of secretly recorded conversations between Knox and her other roommate in the days after the slaying. They comforted each other in broken Italian and English.

“Amanda is confused, terrorized,” he told the jury. “She can hardly speak Italian.”

By his count, she sat through more than 53 hours of police questioning over the course of five days before she was eventually arrested after breaking down and blaming an innocent man, Congolese pub owner Patrick Lumumba, as well as implicating herself.

The interrogation, which lasted into the wee hours of the morning, took place with no attorney present for Knox. Dalla Vedova did not mention any alleged physical abuse by police.

Knox testified in June that a female policewoman hit her on the back of the head twice during questioning. Police deny that she was mistreated and have lodged a defamation complaint against her parents for repeating the allegations.

Prosecutors and police developed a theory of an erotic game gone bad among a group of three people who had little previous contact when the evidence pointed to a crime committed by a single aggressor, he said. Then, last week, the prosecution abruptly changed the motive to Knox’s alleged loathing for her prissy roommate.

“But where is the hate?” he said. The prosecution’s motive and theory of how the crime unfolded, he said, lacked cohesion.

“They say Amanda did it all. She was the protagonist in their reconstruction, but yet, the traces, the evidence, the presence of her in that room is . . . zero. Therefore, Amanda wasn’t there.”

There are luminol-enhanced footprints attributed to Knox and traces of her DNA mixed with Kercher’s blood elsewhere in the house. However, he argued, these are pieces of evidence that are either unreliable or explainable. And the alleged murder weapon, the kitchen knife with a trace of Kercher’s DNA on the blade and Knox’s DNA on the handle, is not compatible with the victim’s wounds, he said.

Dalla Vedova criticized a number of the prosecution’s witnesses, saying some were unreliable or had come forward for money or media attention. Meanwhile, he added, police botched a number of elements that could have proved Knox’s innocence — such her personal computer.

“Those hard disks could have been a huge source of information, but they were fried by an electrical shock.”

Like his colleague Giulia Bongiorno the day before, Dalla Vedova spent considerable time countering attacks on Knox’s character, reading letters from the owner of a Seattle art gallery where she worked and citing former teachers. He described her as a “regular girl leading an ordinary, serene life with positive values.”

“I’ve known her for two years. She is ’soap and water’” he said, using the Italian phrase to describe someone as wholesome. Knox, in a conservative black turtleneck sweater and with her hair pulled back from her face in a neatly woven French braid, appeared concentrated on her lawyer’s every word.

In the breaks she smiled warmly at her parents, step-parents and an aunt present in court. For the first time in a long time, Curt Knox said, he can say Amanda was upbeat. “Today was another step forward,” he said. “I just hope the jury makes a decision based on what they have heard here.”

While Tuesday featured the more methodical of Dalla Vedova, the defense team will end its summations Wednesday with more gregarious, colloquial oratory of local Perugia lawyer Luciano Ghirga.

Knox is also expected to make a statement to jurors, at whom she nods and makes eye contact with each time she enters or exits the courtroom. On Thursday, the prosecution and the Kercher family attorney will be allowed to give rebuttal remarks before the case goes to the jury for deliberations.

Francesco Maresca, the attorney representing the Kercher family, said the attorneys intend to remind the jury of the “ample and massive” amount of forensic and circumstantial evidence behind the prosecution’s case. But the defense has one more day to sow more seeds of doubt.

“There is a lack of clarity with all the evidence in this trial,” Dalla Vedova said. “As jurors, you have a very difficult job. But if you have even a minimal doubt, you must acquit this girl.”

Andrea Vogt is a freelance journalist working in Italy. She can be reached at andrea@thefreelancedesk.com.

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Overview: Amanda Knox Murder Trial-

Although it’s original on my site:

About a dozen of us skeptics found space at a local cantina a couple nights ago to chow down on some good food and talk about how crazy other cultures are. We hit on a few strange things North Americans believe (forgot all about Bigfoot – hit on black cat concepts though – comes from Norse goddess Freya, BTW) but a couple of the girls each had trips to the East and stories to tell about their experiences in Tibet and Taiwan. We also talked about the sad state of Africa with their child witch hunts and albinos being cut up and sold for their (not so) magical parts. I left when talk turned to chiropractics, but only because I was tired. Apparently Canada has been allowing that body cracking for children and babies but is going to start insisting on some evidence that it’s scientifically useful. They never thought to insist upon evidence based treatment before? Scary thought.

Anyway, the woman who’d been to Tibet suggested an interesting theory to explain how superstitions may have developed. First she mentioned London Zoo’s behavioural click training of Lucifer, an Asiatic lion they have (catalogue number 666):

Sound quality’s poor, but when Lucifer responds to the clicks and sit commands, the actual purpose of the paws up routine is to make sure they’re not getting damaged by paddock life, and allows the trainers to eyeball his overall health, without having to drug the big guy every time they want a good look at him.

Then she mentioned some studies done with pigeons. B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning experiments were originally designed to see how well rewards could be used to create a desired behaviour.

If the goal is to have a pigeon turn in a circle to the left, a reward is given for any small movement to the left. When the pigeon catches on to that, the reward is given for larger movements to the left, and so on, until the pigeon has turned a complete circle before getting the reward.

That’s also called positive reinforcement. But Skinner didn’t stop there. He also checked what would happen when the reward wasn’t obviously connected to a behaviour, but instead connected to time of day.

In six out of eight cases the resulting responses were so clearly defined that two observers could agree perfectly in counting instances. One bird was conditioned to turn counter-clockwise about the cage, making two or three turns between reinforcements. Another repeatedly thrust its head into one of the upper corners of the cage. A third developed a ‘tossing’ response, as if placing its head beneath an invisible bar and lifting it repeatedly. Two birds developed a pendulum motion of the head and body, in which the head was extended forward and swung from right to left with a sharp movement followed by a somewhat slower return. The body generally followed the movement and a few steps might be taken when it was extensive. Another bird was conditioned to make incomplete pecking or brushing movements directed toward but not touching the floor.

In English: whatever behaviour a bird was engaged in at the time the food appeared (grooming, turning, etc) would be repeated if the bird associated the act with the reward.

So how screwed up do they get when rewards are even more random and not happening in timed intervals? Bird brain chaos. So long as the reward comes soon enough after the act (some birds would do the action 5 times in 15 seconds) the conditioned behaviour gets cemented. If repeated acts don’t net them any food, they stop assuming that behaviour will get them what they want.

Which leads to the idea of superstition in human beings. A book I need to borrow again is Amen, Amen, Amen by Abby Sher. Abby grew up with a serious case of OCD, made worse by the death of loved ones, and began assuming her ritualized behaviours would somehow make a difference for who lived and died. That’s a very extreme case, but superstition works much the same way.

Someone who just sat through a porn movie and then had a tornado rip through the yard might bizarrely assume the porn movie had something to do with it. That seems to be the idea in the head of Tifatul Sembiring, Indonesia’s Minister of Communication and Information Minister. Immoral behaviour causes hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Irony – an information minister spreading misinformation as truth. But how many superstitious locals will take him up on that and actually think what they like to do in their free time is going to bring bad weather to their island? What century are we living in again?

The woman who’d been to Taiwan talked about their superstitions around the number four, since it sounds very similar to their word for death. They’ll build narrow fourth floors into buildings just so people can’t actually use them, but so people living or working on the fifth feel like they’re really on the fifth instead of the fourth with another name. People don’t even want their ID cards to have any 4s in them. Crazy, but true.

And entrepreneurs take real advantage of people and zany beliefs about lucky numbers and other nonsense.

Taiwanese customers indicated they would be just as willing to pay NT$ [New Taiwan dollars] 342.63 (approximately $10) for a pack of eight tennis balls as they were to pay NT$227.10 for a pack of 10. To put that in perspective, consumers who held positive superstitions about the number eight were willing to spend 50 percent more on 25 percent fewer units–all because in Chinese, “eight” sounds like “prosper” and “wealth.”

Well, somebody’s prospering and wealthy, but I doubt it’s the buyer in this case. Sheesh.

Anyway, think about the power of the mind vs the nature of reality today. What are you believing for no provable reason?

I THINK IT’S LIKE GOD’S WAY OF TELLING US NOT TO FORGET ABOUT HIM, THAT HE IS ALWAYS THERE, WATCHING OVER US AND TAKING CARE OF US.

OH, HAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA.

A petition is going around in California to ban divorce.

The U.S. divorce rate is 47.9 percent, according to data provided by the National Center for Health Statistics reports. That figure, however, does not include California, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana and Minnesota because those six states no longer report their divorce rates to the center.

California stopped because of budget problems, said Ralph Montano, a spokesman for the California Department of Public Health.

While most people would not support banning divorce, it does make sense for couples to be educated about the financial and emotional commitments of marriage, said Dan Couvrette, chief executive and publisher of Toronto-based Divorce Magazine. The publication has a circulation of 140,000, including a regional edition in Southern California.

“It’s a worthwhile conversation to have,” said Couvrette, who started the magazine in 1996 after going through his own divorce. “I don’t think it’s just a frivolous thought.”

It’s set up by a comedian who wanted to satirize the sanctimonious codswallop behind the ban on gay marriage and point to some statistics that really do exist as proof that “traditional” marriage is in trouble with or without allowing gay marriages. Gay marriage can’t possibly “destroy” traditional sacred marriage any more than people in those marriages can now.

This is a crosspost from my blog, but I’m going to add here that same sex marriage has been legal in Canada since 2004.

On Dec. 9, 2004, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Ottawa has exclusive jurisdiction to decide who has the right to get married in this country – but that religious groups are not obliged to perform unions against their beliefs.

The decision means that same-sex marriages performed in seven provinces and one territory are legal and must be recognized. Same-sex marriages are not performed in Alberta, New Brunswick, P.E.I., Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, but the Nunavut government will recognize same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.

Prime Minister Paul Martin said the government will proceed with legislation legalizing same-sex marriage across the country early in 2005.

By June of 2005, it was a reality.

This isn’t a topic I usually keep tabs on, but as far as I know, it hasn’t destroyed the sanctity of any heterosexual marriages. Divorce rates peaked in Canada in 1987, long before any gay rights activists were active on the marriage promotions. They currently sit at 38%, which is lower than the American average.

Amanda Knox awaits verdict in Kercher murder case

Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury yesterday.

The jury in the trial of two students accused of killing Briton Meredith Kercher in Italy has been sent out to consider its verdict.

Prosecutors in Miss Knox’s and Mr Sollecito’s trial say Guede was only one of three killers who acted together, under “the fumes of drugs and possibly alcohol”.

They claim Miss Kercher was stabbed to death after what had started as an extreme sex game.

Miss Kercher’s family arrived at court on Friday, as the jury continued to deliberate, amid a flurry of activity from awaiting journalists and photographers.

Earlier, Miss Knox’s sister, Deanna, said as she arrived at court that she was nervous about the outcome and had had a sleepless night.

“The wait is going to be awful. All I want to do is take her home so I’ve got a good feeling about it. I’m still nervous.”

Miss Knox’s father, Curt Knox, insisted: “Our attorneys have more than presented evidence that would show that she’s innocent.”

KEY EVENTS IN CASE 2 November 2007: Miss Kercher found with throat cut 6 November 2007: Police arrest Amanda Knox, Rafael Sollecito and bar owner Patrick Lumumba 19 November 2007: A fourth suspect, Rudy Guede is arrested. Mr Lumumba is released 28 October 2008: Judge Micheli jails Guede for 30 years for killing Miss Kercher 16 January 2009: Trial of Miss Knox and Mr Sollecito begins 18 November 2009: Guede’s appeal hearing opens 4 December 2009: Judge and jury retire to consider case

On Thursday, Miss Knox, who has been the subject of intense media interest, told the jury in Italian she should not be branded a killer.

“The first thing to say is that I am not calm,” she said.

“I am afraid of being defined as something I am not and by actions that are not mine.

“I’m afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced on to my skin.”

She added she was “confused, sad, frustrated” about the two years she had already been in jail awaiting trial.

Miss Kercher had been sharing a house with Miss Knox, from Seattle, while spending a year abroad in Perugia, an Umbrian hilltop town.

Prosecutors claim Mr Sollecito held Miss Kercher down while his then-girlfriend stabbed her to death.

Mr Sollecito told the court on Thursday that no motive had emerged for his alleged role in the murder.

“I am not violent, I never have been. I wasn’t at the house [where Miss Kercher died] that night,” he said.

However, prosecutor Manuela Comodi argued that “we live in an age of violence with no motive” and suggested the reason for the murder was a mystery.

“We don’t know what sparks these things,” she said, citing DNA evidence allegedly linking Mr Sollecito to the crime.

ITALIAN LEGAL PROCESS •Decision made by eight-strong jury, composed of six lay people and two judges •Discussions with trial judge before verdict announced •No explanation for verdict will be provided immediately, instead within 90 days •Anyone convicted has 90 days to appeal. If not, the sentence becomes definitive •Appeals heard at the regional Assisi Appeals Court, or at Italy’s highest court, the Corte Suprema di Cassazione, for final verdict

She wrapped a white bra around a microphone in the courtroom to demonstrate how his DNA could have ended up on Miss Kercher’s bra strap and not on the rest of the garment.

During her defence, Miss Knox had testified that she spent the night of the murder with Mr Sollecito at his flat, where they smoked marijuana, had sex and watched a movie.

In his closing arguments in the trial, her lawyer Mr Dalla Vedova told the court: “There are still many doubts”.

He said claims Miss Knox’s DNA was found on the handle of the knife alleged to have been used to kill Miss Kercher should be discounted.

The defence has argued the shape of the knife did not match Ms Kercher’s wounds.

Mr Dalla Vedova also dismissed a prosecution claim that his client resented Miss Kercher for allegedly saying she was promiscuous.

source: BBC News 4 december 2009

CBS News Videos on YouTube:

Amanda Takes the Stand

Knox Parents await Verdict

Amanda Knox talks with one of her lawyers during the closing arguments of her trial for murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox asked a jury not to put the "mask of a murderer" on her as she and her boyfriend made emotional final appeals denying the murder of British student Meredith Kercher. (Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images)

Amanda Knox tells an Italian court she is ‘no assassin’

Court Video AFP By ANDREA VOGT SPECIAL TO SEATTLEPI.COM Amanda Knox, who is accused of murdering British student Meredith Kercher, has told a court she does not want to be branded an assassin. Her voice trembled as she addressed the jury in Italy that is expected to deliver its verdict later this week. Earlier it heard Miss Kercher, 21, of Coulsdon, Surrey, had been killed as she had known her three “attackers”. Miss Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 25, deny charges of murder and sexual violence. Rudy Guede, 22, from Ivory Coast, was jailed for 30 years after he was convicted in a separate trial. He has launched an appeal against his conviction. I’m afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced on to my skin Amanda Knox Miss Knox, who has been in jail for two years, told the court people often asked her how she managed to stay so calm. Speaking in Italian she said: “The first thing to say is that I am not calm. “I am afraid of being defined as something I am not and by actions that are not mine. “I’m afraid of having the mask of a murderer forced on to my skin.” She added she was “confused, sad, frustrated” about the length of time she had been in jail. Prosecutors say Miss Kercher was murdered in a drug-fuelled sexual assault. The Leeds University student was found dead in her flat in Perugia, central Italy, in November 2007. Is the behaviour of Amanda Knox at the police station logical when Meredith’s body was still warm? Francesco Maresca, Kercher family lawyer Francesco Maresca, the Kercher family’s lawyer, said Miss Kercher had been killed because her attackers had known they would otherwise be punished for what they had done. “Meredith was killed because she knew all three of her attackers,” he said. “The murder happened step by step, sexual violence and then murder.” He said Miss Knox’s and Mr Sollecito’s behaviour was evidence of their guilt. Miss Knox reportedly turned cartwheels at the police station while she was waiting to be questioned about the murder of her housemate. “Is the behaviour of Amanda Knox at the police station logical when Meredith’s body was still warm?” said Mr Maresca. “Is it logical to say that this murder was carried out by just one person? “Is it logical that these young people had their phones switched off on that night when young people usually have their phones on the whole time?”

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Amanda Knox lawyer makes emotional plea for acquittal

AFP/Amanda Knox is escorted into the courtroom Wednesday in Perugia, Italy.

Perugia, Italy (CNN) — A defense lawyer for Amanda Knox made an impassioned plea to the jury Wednesday as the high-profile case neared its conclusion. Knox is the American student accused of killing her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, at the villa they shared in Italy.

“We suffer at the memory of Meredith. But we look at the future of Amanda,” Luciano Ghirga said in his defense summation.

“Meredith was my friend,” he quoted Knox as saying, rejecting the notion that she hated her roommate, who was fatally stabbed in November 2007.

Prosecutors say Kercher died during a twisted sex game in which Knox taunted Kercher, and two men — Knox’s then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, 26, and acquaintance Rudy Guede — sexually assaulted her.

The prosecution says a knife found in Sollecito’s house had Knox’s DNA on the handle and Kercher’s on the blade, among other pieces of evidence.

But Ghirga rejected the accusations against Knox on Wednesday.

Ghirga concluded an emotional oration — sobbing as he came to the end — by asking the judge and jury to acquit Knox, because her mother asked him to request it, because her family asked it.

Knox’s father, Curt, said Wednesday she had been a victim of “character assassination,” and expressed hope she would be found not guilty.

Members of Kercher’s family have declined repeated CNN requests for comment on the case.

But prosecutor Giuliano Mignini accused the defense of “lynching” the Italian police who worked on the case.

He defended the work of the police and the credibility of the prosecution witnesses as he responded to Ghirga’s arguments Wednesday.

And he called again for life sentences for Knox and Sollecito if they are found guilty. Italy does not have the death penalty.

The jury is expected to begin deliberations on Friday, after the prosecution completes its summary.

Another Knox attorney on Tuesday said the prosecution’s theory doesn’t fit the facts of the case and there is not sufficient evidence to find her guilty.

Calling Knox a victim herself, Carlo della Vedova said the police had rushed to judgment following the murder, leaving Knox to fend off a myriad of false media reports regarding the crime.

The lawyer showed photos published in the media, purportedly showing the crime scene, that weren’t authentic — including a photo of the bathroom — and said false allegations and rumors about Knox’s character created a bias from the start.

Della Vedova also questioned the change in what prosecutor Mignini said was the motive for the murder.

In preliminary hearings, Mignini argued Knox, Sollecito and Guede slashed Kercher’s throat during a sexual misadventure as the two men vied for Knox’s attention. In recent days, Mignini has focused more on what he says was a hatred between the two roommates.

Defense lawyers have staunchly disagreed, claiming the two women were friends.

Ghirga on Wednesday said the two had gone to a chocolate festival together days before Kercher was killed.

The defense has argued that Guede, who was convicted in a separate fast-track trial and is currently appealing his conviction, was the sole killer. The defense has said there is no evidence tying the three suspects together or proving they planned Kercher’s murder.

Della Vedova also focused during closing arguments on the lack of evidence tying Knox to the crime scene.

As defense lawyers have throughout the entire trial, he cast doubt on DNA evidence that prosecutors claim shows Knox’s DNA on the handle of the alleged murder weapon. The defense has said the knife doesn’t match Kercher’s wounds or an imprint of the knife left on a bedsheet, and the DNA sample is too small to be conclusive.

During the first day of closing arguments for Knox’s lawyers, della Vedova stressed to the eight-member jury that they should also keep church law in mind as they decide whether to find Knox and Sollecito guilty or not guilty.

He told the jury they needed to be “morally certain of their decision.”

“If you have the minimum of doubts, you must absolve this young girl — a girl that is merely 22 years old,” he said.

Knox and Sollecito, who both deny any role in the murder, have been jailed for more than two years since they were arrested on charges of murder and sexual violence.

Their trial began in January.

CNN’s Mallory Simon contributed to this report.

YouTube Video – Dec.2 Perugia, Italy- Amanda Knox Trial

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Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Last updated 2:43 p.m. PT

Amanda Knox a victim, targeted for being a foreigner, attorneys say

By ANDREA VOGT
SPECIAL TO SEATTLEPI.COM

PERUGIA , Italy — Calling murder suspect Amanda Knox a victim herself, defense attorneys said Tuesday that the young Seattle student was unfairly singled out by homicide investigators because she was a foreigner who was different.

Knox, 22, of West Seattle, is on trial along with her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito for the slaying of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, on November 1, 2007.

Amanda Knox's mother, Edda Mellas, speaks with her defense attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, in Perugia, Italy. Closing arguments are taking place in Knox's trial for the 2007 murder of her roommate.

Prosecutors allege that Knox, Sollecito and a third man already convicted for his role in the crime, Rudy Guede, physically, then sexually assaulted Kercher after a fight between the two women got out of hand. But in closing arguments that began Tuesday for Knox’s defense, lawyers said she was unfair targeted because of her odd character and what followed in the days after was a “tsunami” of police and judicial oversight and media pressure that eventually overcame her.

“The truth comes out in a trial, and we have been patiently waiting for this moment, especially Amanda Knox, who has been sitting in jail with patience and determination, waiting to get her life back,” said Carlo Dalla Vedova, of Rome.

“Amanda Knox never should have been arrested. And everything that has happened since then has been part of an attempt to maintain an accusation, that, bit by bit, has disintegrated.”

It began with “psychosomatic” observations of one powerful cop, he said, Edgardo Giobbi, the former director of the violent crimes division of the central operations unit in Rome, who on “investigator’s instincts” suspected Knox from the beginning.

“Immediately after the crime, they focused attention on her,” said Dalla Vedova. “They started recording her conversations. They were quick to say ‘case closed,’ but it was a mistake the police made in the beginning, then they couldn’t let it go.”

He played tapes of secretly recorded conversations between Knox and her other roommate in the days after the slaying. They comforted each other in broken Italian and English.

“Amanda is confused, terrorized,” he told the jury. “She can hardly speak Italian.”

By his count, she sat through more than 53 hours of police questioning over the course of five days before she was eventually arrested after breaking down and blaming an innocent man, Congolese pub owner Patrick Lumumba, as well as implicating herself.

The interrogation, which lasted into the wee hours of the morning, took place with no attorney present for Knox. Dalla Vedova did not mention any alleged physical abuse by police.

Knox testified in June that a female policewoman hit her on the back of the head twice during questioning. Police deny that she was mistreated and have lodged a defamation complaint against her parents for repeating the allegations.

Prosecutors and police developed a theory of an erotic game gone bad among a group of three people who had little previous contact when the evidence pointed to a crime committed by a single aggressor, he said. Then, last week, the prosecution abruptly changed the motive to Knox’s alleged loathing for her prissy roommate.

“But where is the hate?” he said. The prosecution’s motive and theory of how the crime unfolded, he said, lacked cohesion.

“They say Amanda did it all. She was the protagonist in their reconstruction, but yet, the traces, the evidence, the presence of her in that room is . . . zero. Therefore, Amanda wasn’t there.”

There are luminol-enhanced footprints attributed to Knox and traces of her DNA mixed with Kercher’s blood elsewhere in the house. However, he argued, these are pieces of evidence that are either unreliable or explainable. And the alleged murder weapon, the kitchen knife with a trace of Kercher’s DNA on the blade and Knox’s DNA on the handle, is not compatible with the victim’s wounds, he said.

Dalla Vedova criticized a number of the prosecution’s witnesses, saying some were unreliable or had come forward for money or media attention. Meanwhile, he added, police botched a number of elements that could have proved Knox’s innocence — such her personal computer.

“Those hard disks could have been a huge source of information, but they were fried by an electrical shock.”

Like his colleague Giulia Bongiorno the day before, Dalla Vedova spent considerable time countering attacks on Knox’s character, reading letters from the owner of a Seattle art gallery where she worked and citing former teachers. He described her as a “regular girl leading an ordinary, serene life with positive values.”

“I’ve known her for two years. She is ’soap and water’” he said, using the Italian phrase to describe someone as wholesome. Knox, in a conservative black turtleneck sweater and with her hair pulled back from her face in a neatly woven French braid, appeared concentrated on her lawyer’s every word.

In the breaks she smiled warmly at her parents, step-parents and an aunt present in court. For the first time in a long time, Curt Knox said, he can say Amanda was upbeat. “Today was another step forward,” he said. “I just hope the jury makes a decision based on what they have heard here.”

While Tuesday featured the more methodical of Dalla Vedova, the defense team will end its summations Wednesday with more gregarious, colloquial oratory of local Perugia lawyer Luciano Ghirga.

Knox is also expected to make a statement to jurors, at whom she nods and makes eye contact with each time she enters or exits the courtroom. On Thursday, the prosecution and the Kercher family attorney will be allowed to give rebuttal remarks before the case goes to the jury for deliberations.

Francesco Maresca, the attorney representing the Kercher family, said the attorneys intend to remind the jury of the “ample and massive” amount of forensic and circumstantial evidence behind the prosecution’s case. But the defense has one more day to sow more seeds of doubt.

“There is a lack of clarity with all the evidence in this trial,” Dalla Vedova said. “As jurors, you have a very difficult job. But if you have even a minimal doubt, you must acquit this girl.”

Andrea Vogt is a freelance journalist working in Italy. She can be reached at andrea@thefreelancedesk.com.

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Overview: Amanda Knox Murder Trial

Refering to the Fort Hood shooter, President George “Retarded Cowboy ” Bush’s press secretary Dana Perino says “‘We Did Not Have a Terrorist Attack on Our Country During President Bush’s Term”

TALK ABOUT DESPERATE

I HIGHLIGHTED IMPORTANT POINTS IN RED, AND SPELLING IS IN CONTEXT.

***NOVEMBER FINANCIAL UPDATE: As we head into the last day of the month, we still need to bring in right at $25,000 to cover the balance of our November financial needs, and $80,000 to cover the monthly shortfalls we’ve incurred since January.

Please pray about making a special year-end gift to Liveprayer that may also help your tax situation. God has sustained His work here for over 10 yrs now, and there has never been a more critical time for our voice to be heard. Sadly, while so many churches and ministries stay out of the line of fire, the culture around us is in a spiritual freefall. I will keep sharing the unadulterated truth of God’s Word each day while reaching out to the lost and hurting, sharing with them the hope we have in Jesus. YOU MAKE THAT POSSIBLE and I need your help today. Please pray and simply be obedient to give as the Holy Spirit prompts you. Thank you for caring aobut others and the eternal souls of men.

***As we are in the last day of the month, it would be a great help to me if you are able to send a gift of $1,000 or more, to send it via FedEx or wire it to our bank. If you are able to do this, please email me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com and I will be happy to give your our FedEx account# or bank wire instructions. Thank you for caring about the lost and hurting and helping me!!!

***TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the “Donation” link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com , or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Fl 33709 All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.

**THE LIVEPRAYER CHURCH!!! Haven’t been to church yet this week? Join me for this week’s service at the new LivePrayer Church. This week’s relevant and applicable message is, “Adam, Where are you?” Please visit the new website and be part the worship service. Each Sunday there will be a new service at 12:01am EDT at www.liveprayerchurch.com

***TIME SHARES TO HELP LIVEPRAYER!!! Don’t forget that we have had 2 timeshares in North Carolina donated to us. They have a value of apx. $5,000 each, but we are willing to sell them for $3,000 each. If you are interested in this wonderful opportunity, email me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com

The Manhattan Declaration: A Call to Christian Conscience or a gutless publicity stunt??? Let me say up front that I support 100% every word in the Manhattan Declaration. I also have great admiration for the contribution to the Kingdom many of the men and women who signed this docuemnt have made. But the fact is, it is little more than a publicity stunt by some very high profile ministries that they can use to raise millions of dollars for their next buildiing or jet plane, while NOHTING THEY DID will change the spritual course of this naiton!!!

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT IS BETTER THAN THAN THE MANHATTAN DECLARATION……THE BIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Without question, the greatest problem we have in Christendom in the year 2009 is a void in real spiritual leadership. A true spiritual leader is one who has the courage and intestinal fortitude (guts) to take a stand for God’s Truth regardless of what people think, say, or do. A true spiritual leader is never going to win any popularity contests since the masses live in rebellion to God’s Truth. A true spiritual leader is not concerned with the temporal things of this world, so he can’t be bought. A true spiritual leader will be hated, reviled, attacked in every way, and literally give his very life for the Faith. A true spiritual leader is accountable to and answers to only one person…GOD!!! It was sickening a few months ago to see Pastor Rick Warren on “Larry King Live” say, “I wrote to all my gay friends – the leaders that I knew – and actually apologized to them.” For what? For taking a Biblical stand on one of the issues that is literally ripping out the soul of this nation and causing the judgment of God on our land? I tried for years to warn people about this man who enters into unholy associations for his own benefit. Warren is more concerned with the feelings of men than the feeling of God. He is more concerned with advancing his global social agenda than the agenda of God. He actually bragged about not being an anti-gay activist and that this issue was not important to him. He said battling homosexuality was not part of his agenda.

*Note:.It is always interesting to see men like Warren, Jakes, and Osteen boldly declare Christ in their pulpit, but when given the opportunity to go into the marketplace, on a mainstream secular program with the lost world watching, they parse words, become cowards, and for fear of losing their earthly position, refuse to declare the Truth of God’s Word and the FACT that Jesus is the ONLY hope and the ONLY answer for this world and for each person!

Verbal and physical violence is the usual response against those who have the courage to tell the Truth. Let me be blunt. The number one reason YOU don’t witness your faith like you should is the fact you don’t want to be verbally assaulted by your unsaved family members, friends, co-workers, classmates, neighbors, or simply those God allows to cross your path. It is much easier to simply say nothing than to take the verbal abuse that often comes with sharing your faith. Let me ask you a serious question, one that I want you to pray about today. Are you more worried about what someone will say to you or pleasing God? That is a question only you can answer, but one you need to pray about.

Since Christians virtually abandoned the culture decades ago, the voices in the world today are all voices who deny God, reject His Truth, and mock His Son. Turn on any secular television program, radio program, read any secular publications, and what you get is a steady diet of images and messages in rebellion to God’s Truth. Let me give you a great example. Political satirist Bill Maher has a program on HBO that deals with the political and social issues of our day. He openly mocks Christianity and uses his “pulpit” to blast Believers and mock the Truth. TEN TIMES more people read the Daily Devotional each day than watch his program, yet Maher has been given a HUGE VOICE in the marketplace by the secular media to spew his hatred for Christ, God’s people, and the Truth of God’s Word he has rejected.

This is why those who God raises up in leadership positions have got to be true spiritual leaders. Not leading people in our self-created “trough,” but boldly and visibly leading people in the marketplace. I know personally of 3 current programs on TBN that have had to change their programs to comply with TBN’s “Muslim friendly” requirements. I have told each of them personally they are gutless cowards to let anyone stop them from telling the Truth. They are more worried about being on TBN so they can generate donations, product sales, and attract people to their public appearances than they are telling the Truth.

The few who have ventured into the marketplace have done so with a watered-down, politically correct, “positive” message that insures nobody is offended. The problem with that is the Bible itself states that the Truth is offensive to those who reject it. How can you preach the unadulterated Truth of God’s Word and not offend people? The goal is not to offend but to tell the Truth as God has clearly stated it, however, the result of telling the Truth is that people will be offended. Look at what happened to those who heard Stephen simply state the Truth. They got so “offended,” they literally took him to the edge of the city and stoned him to death!

The word I have for you today is this. Don’t wait for someone to lead you. You already have your marching orders from the commander-in-chief Himself! We have been ordered to go out into the highways and byways and bring in the lost. God ordered us to go into the world and preach the Gospel. Don’t wait for someone to lead you, as the Nike commercial says, JUST DO IT! Go forth knowing that the arm of the Lord is with you. Know up front that you will be attacked as you enter the battle field. However, God told us in Ephesians 6 that our battle is not with flesh and blood, that it is a spiritual battle. He also has equipped us with all needed to fight and win!

Let me give you a personal testimony. Since Liveprayer began over 10 years ago, more than 5 million subscribers to the Daily Devotional have unsubscribed. There are a multitude of reasons, but from the feedback we receive well over 90% of them unsubscribed because they disagreed with what God said in His Word on a particular issue. You see, I could simply play the game, tell everyone how wonderful things are, give them a nice positive message every day, not deal with the hard realities of life, and probably have over 4 million subscribers. But I don’t do this every day for numbers, or to make people laugh, but to bring God’s Truth into people’s lives.

Less than 1/4 of 1% of the people we reach EVER give a dime to support God’s work here. I know from feedback a huge percentage will NEVER give to the work here because of the Biblical stands I take on the issues of the day. Again, I am not here to see how much money I can raise, but to bring God’s Truth to people’s lives. Out of the 40,000 plus emails we get each day, several hundred are some of the most vile and hateful things you can ever imagine. 8 to 10 times a month I have people literally threaten my life for simply sharing the Truth of God’s Word in the Daily Devotional or on the television program. The point is, you get used to the attacks, they are simply part of taking a stand for Christ. You can’t let it bother you. You have to have faith God is watching over you, and ultimately, you can never forget you aren’t here to please men but please God!

Don’t forget, you have the TRUTH of God on your side. Your job is simply to share that Truth with the lost and hurting. What those who hear the Truth do is than between them and God. You can’t save anyone. You can’t force someone how to think. You can’t make a person act a certain way. Your job is simply to go forth and present the uncompromised Truth of God’s Word. Never forget, you don’t have to apologize for telling the Truth!!!

Even as I type these words, God is already raising up men and women who will without shame or fear or compromise, lead His people in these last days. They will be men and women above reproach, not dazzled by the trinkets of this world, but only concerned about serving their Lord. They won’t be interested in the applause of men, only the “well done” from God Himself. They won’t be preaching a “feel good” message to tickle the ears of the masses, but the hard Truth of God’s Word. You won’t find these men and women in the “trough,” they will be in the public square, taking on the mouthpieces of satan who seek to lead the souls of men into eternal damnation. They won’t have to ask you to follow them, you will WANT to follow them because you will know they are from God!

In the meantime, know that despite those who God raises up to lead, ALL of His children have been called to serve Him. As a follower of Christ, you don’t have the option of sitting home and watching, you have been commanded to serve. Know that God will guide you each day in your service, use you right where you live, work, and play. The greatest thing a servant of God can do is simply be a vessel of God’s Truth. Now more than ever, there is a void of Biblical Truth in the marketplace. If each follower of Christ would simply do their part in sharing that Truth, the world won’t just be hearing the lies of satan, but also the clear Truth of God’s Word.

I will be praying for you today. Praying that you will open your heart and hear God speaking to you today to step up and make a difference with your life. EVERY CHILD OF GOD HAS BEEN CALLED TO SERVE, AND EVERY CHILD OF GOD CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Know that you will be attacked for taking a stand for Christ, but that God will watch over you. Know that people may dislike you, even hate you for telling them the Truth, but your goal is not to please men, it is to please God. Go forth and tell the lost and hurting the Truth, and please, DON’T EVER APOLOGIZE FOR TELLING THE TRUTH!!!

However, this time we have the critical financial component through the Jonah Project and the Liveprayer Church. I have no doubt the Christians in the audience, and even many non-Christians who want to see this nation come back to traditional values, will not only sign up to be part of the Jonah Project, but support it financially. Also, many in the TV audience will be people who are looking for a church home, and no doubt many will become part of the Liveprayer Church. A portion of the donations to the Jonah Project and the tithes to the Liveprayer Church will go to pay for the airtime for the national radio and TV programs.

Here is the fleece I have laid before God and what I need you to pray for. There are many major secular TV networks willing to air the Liveprayer TV program live, 5 nights a week. We were told by one network after another that air the most disgusting programs you can imagine that our “content was too controversial” but are willing to air our program. I was getting very discouraged when God opened a door with a major secular network who has agreed to air the Liveprayer program “live” every Monday-Friday from Midnight-1am EDT all across the nation.

It will cost us $45,000 per night for the airtime, and we have to pay each quarter (13 weeks, 65 programs) in advance. That is $2,925,000. We can start any time. My friend, I am certain that if we can cover this first quarter worth of programs, we will be able to attract enough viewers to join the Jonah Project, as well as the new Liveprayer Church, to generate the funds we need to keep the program on the air.

I love you and care about you so much. Listen, you know my heart after all of these years. I could have taken the easy road and simply become another occupant of the Christian trough, generating millions of dollars, living a life of ease and luxury like so many others. I could have become part of the “Christian elite,” played the political games, run around with the “giants” whose name everyone knows like those who singed this Manhattan Declaration.

I am not interested in fame, or money, only SOULS! I am not interested in talking about souls, but SAVING SOULS! I am not interested in acting like we are doing something while men are dying and going to hell because nobody reached out to them and told them how to be saved, while our nation is in spiritual freefall. I am only interested in making sure ALL hear the Gospel and in turning this nation back to God. I don’t have any desire to be part of the religious establishment, only serve the Lord!

I am coming to you today to ask you to pray for God to move on the heart of one person, maybe two, maybe three or four, who have the resources and the heart for God to make a bold move and help me put together $3 million dollars by the end of this month. In addition to the airtime costs, we will need about $75,000 for the production costs for those 13 weeks.

The Liveprayer TV program is not some “good idea.” We have done over 1650 programs over the past 7 years and have the track record to prove it is successful. We only need to have 100,000 viewers a night, a minimal number we averaged the 10 weeks we were on nationwide in 2006. Only 1% of those viewers needs to sign up for the Jonah Project and make a $40 donation, and only 1/4 of 1% need to join the Liveprayer Church with only 20% of those people tithing $100 a week, for us to cover our nightly airtime costs. That is why I am CERTAIN we now have the model in place to cover the ongoing costs of the program if we can raise the $3 million we need for the first quarter.

I know there are some very talented, gifted, and resourceful people who are part of the Liveprayer family. People God has gifted in the area of finances. I need your help! Some of you have the resources and contacts to put together a small group of 3, 5, 10, 20 people. Others have great contacts with people who love the Lord and would be excited about a real opportunity to make a difference with some of what God has entrusted into their care. IT IS GOING TO TAKE ONE PERSON GOD HAS GIFTED AND ORDAINED TO SHARE MY BURDEN, MAKE IT YOUR BURDEN, AND HELP ME PUT THIS $3 MILLION TOGETHER. PLEASE PRAY AND SEEK THE LORD IF HE IS CALLING YOU TO HELP ME!

I am well aware that $3 million is an incredible commitment, however money is all relative. President Barack Hussein Obama raised $66 MILLION IN ONE MONTH! There are people willing to pour millions into a political ideology, I know there are those who can make that same financial commitment for the eternal souls of millions and to help lead this nation back to God. The fact is, there is NOBODY that has a live daily TV program on secular TV. It is hard to put into words the incredible impact such a program can have in the hearts and lives of the millions of people who will view it each day. I assure you that this TV program can not only help lead millions of souls to faith in Jesus Christ, but be a loud voice in the marketplace of God’s Truth that can lead this nation back to God and Biblical Truth.

I realize satan will stop at nothing to keep this program from airing and will cause many to dismiss this message. That is OK. It takes eyes to see and ears to hear. I am asking everyone today to please pray for the Lord to send the person or people who can help me put together this $3 million by the end of the month. Nothing on Christian TV is going to impact millions of lost souls or this nation because very few lost souls watch Christian TV, and after 40 years, the nation is in a worst spiritual condition than it has ever been in. It is clear that Christian TV has had virtually ZERO impact on our culture!

However, I know the impact the Liveprayer TV program has had over the years we have been on in Tampa and around Florida and across the nation. Even in just the 10 weeks we were on nationally in 2006, we still hear from people whose lives were impacted. It is a simple, yet powerful vehicle that can literally turn this nation back to God and His Truth. This is no doubt the last window we will have, since as the culture deteriorates, the ability to do such a program will be lost. As much money as $3 million is, it is nothing in the economy of this world. That $3 million can be the seed that helps to turn this nation back to God while helping to lead millions and millions of souls to faith in Jesus Christ.

As we head into the last day of the month, we still need to bring in right at $25,000 to cover the balance of our November financial needs, and $80,000 to cover the monthly shortfalls we’ve incurred since January. Please pray about making a special year-end gift to Liveprayer that may also help your tax situation. God has sustained His work here for over 10 yrs now, and there has never been a more critical time for our voice to be heard. Sadly, while so many churches and ministries stay out of the line of fire, the culture around us is in a spiritual freefall. I will keep sharing the unadulterated truth of God’s Word each day while reaching out to the lost and hurting, sharing with them the hope we have in Jesus. YOU MAKE THAT POSSIBLE and I need your help today. Please pray and simply be obedient to give as the Holy Spirit prompts you. Thank you for caring aobut others and the eternal souls of men.

As we are in the last day of the month, it would be a great help to me if you are able to send a gift of $1,000 or more, to send it via FedEx or wire it to our bank. If you are able to do this, please email me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com and I will be happy to give your our FedEx account# or bank wire instructions. Thank you for caring about the lost and hurting and helping me!!!

TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on our secure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the “Donation” link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com , or you can mail your gift to: Liveprayer, 6660 46th Ave. North, St. Petersburg, Fl 33709 All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible. Again, please pray and please stand in agreement with me for the Lord to bring the right person or people to help me by the end of this month. If God is speaking to you about this opportunity to use your life and resources to do something great for His Kingdom, please contact me at: bkeller@liveprayer.com

In His love and service,

Your friend and brother in Christ,

Bill Keller

***COMING TOMORROW, the gay American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert recently committed several lewd and degusting sex acts on a major network telecast. Why is everyone so upset? This is what the homosexual lifestyle is all about. Another important message about the “homosexualization” of our nation.