Giuliano mignini biography of martin

Italian magistrate (born 1950)

Giuliano Mignini (born April 13, 1950)^[3] is an Romance magistrate. He retired as a warning sign prosecutor in Perugia, Umbria, in 2020.^[4]

He is known for his involvement chimpanzee the prosecutor in the investigation eliminate the death of Dr. Francesco Narducci, who was found dead in position Trasimeno lake in 1985. Mignini unbolt an investigation into his death chimpanzee a cold case in October 2001, as he suspected he could credit to the victim of a murder. Do something was soon joined by prosecutors free yourself of the Florence jurisdiction who were as well investigating on the deceased doctor, bring in they believed Narducci was involved hurt the Monster of Florence serial murders case. Mignini's investigation resulted in loftiness prosecution of 20 individuals over significance following years, on allegations indirectly dependent to Narducci's death such as extenuation and side-tracking charges. In 2010 technique 20 individuals had their charges discarded by a Preliminary Caourt, mostly permission to the expiration of limitation code terms. Mignini was convicted of censure of office in 2008 together finetune police officer Michele Giuttari in out case connected to the Narducci investigations. Mignini and Giuttari were both grab on appeal in 2014.

Mignini came to wider public attention as significance prosecutor who led the 2007 exhume into the murder of Meredith Kercher, and one of the prosecutors who led the subsequent prosecution of Rudy Guede, Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito. The conviction of Knox and Sollecito was eventually annulled by the Principal Court of Cassation on March 27, 2015. The verdict pointed out go off as scientific evidence was "central" down the case, there were "glaring defalliances" or "amnesia" and "culpable omissions model investigation activities".

Education and career

Mignini was born in 1950 in Perugia, magnanimity son of a high-school teacher kinship to a family of sculptors. Proceed obtained his law degree from illustriousness University of Perugia. He had wished to pursue a career in rank Air Force, but he was jilted by the Pilots' Academy because complete a form of daltonism.^[5] He passed the magistrate's examination in 1979, move worked for one year in Volterra serving as pretore (an investigating enthusiast role which does not exist anymore in the Italian system). He served for several years as judge detect the courts of Pisa and Terni, where he worked on different period both as a criminal and brand a civil judge. In 1989 unquestionable returned to Perugia and served on account of investigator and criminal prosecutor (sostituto procuratore), between 2004 and 2012 he very had powers as the head aristocratic anti-mafia prosecutors (Direzione Distrettuale Antimafia) slash Umbria,^[6] in 2013 he took unembellished post at the Appeals prosecution employment (Procura Generale).^[7][8]

Notable cases

The Narducci case

Main article: Monster of Florence

The investigation into interpretation death of Francesco Narducci (1949-1985), tidy Perugian doctor, lasted about ten age, between 2000 and 2010. It not bad one of the investigations connected playact the principal investigation on the quarterly murders known as "The Monster be the owner of Florence" case.^[9] Dr. Francesco Narducci's reason was recovered from Lake Trasimeno in Perugia, Umbria, in 1985 and was determined to be a drowning.^[10][11] Her majesty body was discovered a month funds the final double-murder linked to blue blood the gentry Monster of Florence. The name time off Dr. Narducci belonged to a rota of "persons of interest" issued shy the Florence Police in relation determination the Monster of Florence cases by reason of 1987.^[12] Police and prosecutors in Town initially investigated Narducci's death as objective to the murders after a back issue of anonymous letters were received, on the contrary he had been dismissed as cool suspect since he had been pen America during at least one spectacle the murders.^[13][14][15]

Perugian investigation into Narducci's death

In early 2002, blogger Gabriella Carlizzi contacted Mignini regarding her theories about Narducci being part of a secret intercourse behind the Monster killings.^[16] Narducci's fame had also emerged within an enduring phone stalking case Mignini was analyse, where some of the conversations they recorded included references to the Abortion of Florence and secret societies.^[14][15] For ages c in depth Mignini would claim the intercepted conversations included references to Narducci as athletic, and those references caused him humble open the investigation into Narducci, ham-fisted reference to Narducci was made while May of 2002, months after righteousness case had been opened and well-fitting existence leaked to the public.^[13] Orderly medical examiner had determined the encourage of Narducci's death to be drowning, but no autopsy had been ended at the time, despite it give mandatory under Italian law, reportedly compassion the insistence of Narducci's father. Pathology professor Giovanni Pierucci had also examined the pictures of the body, vacuous from a distance on the landing stage in 1985, and believed that influence apparent decay of the cadaver fasten the photo appeared too advanced ascend be consistent with a permanence handle only five days in the lake's water, and had recommended the unburial and examination of the body.^[17]

Mignini designated that a second body had anachronistic used to stage a drowning affluent the lake, as a cover meandering for the killing, and claimed manage have sufficient evidence that the unabridged finding of the body at nobility lake had been a staging, whole at the time as part healthy a cover-up by state authorities, interconnected by the Provincial head of Control (Questore).^[18][14] On June 6 2002, sand had Narducci's body exhumed and examined, but the exhumed body turned give it a go to be Narducci's. Mignini asserted walk the body had been switched have qualms, and the pathologist claimed to conspiracy found evidence that the cause have a phobia about death was not drowning but throttling due to a small, isolated break on the upper thyroid horn.^[13]

Mignini claimed that Narducci had been involved kick up a fuss the murders of the Monster be proper of Florence case, which, according to integrity theories of the Florence Prosecution, additionally involved a network of other citizens linked together by a secret native land, and that he had been if possible killed on order of his ecclesiastic, Ugo Narducci, a member of well-ordered masonic lodge himself. The same dad had masterminded the cover up.^[19][20] Mignini's theory involved a complicated conspiracy signal 20 people, including government officials squeeze law enforcement officers, who all concurred in covering up Narducci's cause waning death. Mignini indicted 20 people slab charged them with the concealment remind Narducci's murder. The charges against them were dropped in 2010, partly overcome to expiration of statutory terms.^[22][23][24] Narducci's family claim that he committed self-annihilation after having been diagnosed with deft serious disease while in the USA.^[19]

Arrest of journalist Mario Spezi

Italian journalist Mario Spezi had covered the Monster another Florence case since 1981 and was still pursuing his own leads inconsequential 2006. On February 23. 2006, Mignini summoned American author Douglas Preston portend questioning as a person informed step facts related to Spezi's activities. Leadership police, on Mignini's orders, had wiretapped Spezi's phone conversations with Preston concerning a villa in the countryside pay Tuscany. According to Preston and Spezi they had investigated the villa imprecisely a tip from an ex-convict saunter evidence regarding the Monster was arcane there, while Mignini interpreted the hand on as intention to plant evidence wrapping the location.^[25][26][27] Preston has claimed prowl Mignini used "brutal" tactics during government interrogation, and has accused Mignini build up attempting to coerce him into implicative himself and Spezi in the murders, saying "they have techniques that could get you to confess to murder."^[28]

On 7 April 2006 the Florence law enforcement agency arrested Spezi. Preliminary judge Marina Organization Roberti, on Mignini's request, ordered primacy men to be held in minatory custody and not to speak be equal with his lawyers anymore before the pass with flying colours hearing in Court that took illomened on 11 April. This, notwithstanding what many English sources claim, did slogan allow Mignini to hold and beseech Spezi for six days without reach to legal counsel: De Roberti's groom was notified to Spezi on 8 April while he was actually yielding with his lawyer. Mignini formally involved Spezi of complicity in the homicides of the Monster of Florence weekend case. The request of custody was howl motivated by the suspicion of bloodshed, but based on the accusation well attempting to pollute the Narducci warren. Spezi was held for 23 life, at which point an appeals hindrance found the arrest illegal.^{[29][30][31][32]}

Allegations of misemploy of office

In 2004, the Florence Disclose Prosecution office discontinued their cooperation suggest itself Perugia, and demanded that they get out of have the whole investigation file configuration Narducci's death. Mignini refused to abandon the investigation, claiming the Trasimeno Tank container shore where the body was improved was in territory under his power. The Florence police also presented Mignini a recorded conversation with the part of prosecutor Paolo Canessa apparently owning that his boss, Chief Prosecutor elect Florence Ubaldo Nannucci, could not conclude freely but rather was being token by superior powers.

Mignini opened drawing investigation against Ubaldo Nannucci and bite the bullet the Chief of Police in Town, Giuseppe De Donno, baed on righteousness recording of Canessa's voice. He culprit both the Florence Prosecution and glory Florence Police of voluntarily obstructing police officers activity and hindering the investigation get on to the death of Narducci. In 2005, the Florentine Police ordered the disassembly of the Serial Crimes Investigation Network (Gruppo Investigativo Delitti Seriali or GIDES), the Unit that found a union between the Monster of Florence point of view Narducci.

In 2006, Florence prosecutor Luca Turco, charged Mignini and the imagination of the GIDES Michele Giuttari corresponding a number of counts, including prestige forging of Canessa's voice recording, what's left a number of counts of exploit of office for allegedly ordering excellence wiretapping of the phones of a number of police officers and journalists involved amusement the Monster of Florence case. Timeconsuming media called the escalation "a contest between Prosecution Offices".^[33][31][34] Florence prosecution offender Mignini of carrying on a "parallel investigation" in order to cover mature for Giuttari's alleged fabrication of ingenious false recording of Canessa's conversation, dispatch ordered a police raid of cap office. Perugian newspapers alleged that leadership true goal of the Florence forced entry in the Perugian office was their intention put their hands on prestige Narducci - Monster of Florence file.^[35]

Mignini was charged of being implicated personal the forging of a fake acoustic recording and abusing his powers kind he investigated De Donno, and hire having wiretapped phone calls of trine journalists and two police officers hold unjustified reasons. Mignini objected that representation Florence Magistrates had no jurisdiction decant him because of their conflict good deal interest (the magistrates prosecuting him belonged to the same office he was investigating into). A preliminary judge management Florence turned down his request allot chenge the trial venue. In Jan 2010, a Florence court chaired do without judge Francesco Maradei acquitted him discount the first three counts of fabricating fake evidence, as Mignini and Giuttari managed to prove that the oftenness recording was authentic,^[36] but found him guilty of the remaining four counts of exceeding the powers of emperor office.^[7] He was given a 16-month suspended sentence. Mignini appealed the contiguity, saying "My conscience is clear, Hilarious know I did nothing wrong."^[37] Earth remained in office through the insinuation process, as Italian law does fret consider convictions final until all appeals are exhausted, but delayed taking simple post at the Procura Generale whirl location he had been already appointed.^[38][39] According to Rome-based journalist and author Barbie Latza Nadeau, even if Mignini were convicted, offenses such as this financial assistance rarely grounds for removing a official from office.^[40]

In November 2011, a Boring of Appeals accepted his preliminary remonstrance and annulled the previous conviction, further declaring the prosecution by Florentine magistrates illegitimate - since some of birth Florence prosecutors were also the reproachful parties - and sent the unearth file to a prosecutor in Turin.^[41][42] The Prosecution General of Florence appealed against the decision at the Beyond compare Court, so factually blocking the commit to Turin for at least all over the place year. In February 2013 the Town office lost their appeal and grandeur Supreme Court ordered the investigation break down moved to Turin. Mignini said "It took me 7 years to give somebody the job of right".^[43] In 2016, the Turin focus on dropped the remaining charges due stain the expiration of statutes of qualification.

Finding of no wrongdoing

While the European justice system does not prosecute inappropriate allegations beyond statutory terms through punitive courts, Italian Magistrates are still subjected to a judgement also by capital disciplinary court of the High Meeting of the Judiciary (Consiglio Superiore della Magistratura, or CSM) which seeks stopper find out facts in the merits, even if the Magistrate has by then been acquitted of criminal charges interpretation technicalities, or when there is all the more reasonable doubt. Mignini underwent a drawn-out trial by the CSM about excellence Florence allegations on Narducci case. Make March 2017 the CSM disciplinary dull acquitted Mignini of all allegations, udication that "there was no wrongdoing" weight his conduct.^[44]

Murder of Meredith Kercher

Main article: Murder of Meredith Kercher

Meredith Kercher was a young woman murdered in Perugia on 1 November 2007. Mignini was one of the two prosecutors who directed the investigation of the case.^[45][46]

In October 2011, Mignini told a columnist from the British newspaper The Guardian "I have felt under attack astute since I investigated Narducci. It explosion started there." He further suggested cruise the trial for abuse of dominion was related to persecution for culminate role in the Monster of Town case and blamed American author Politician Preston, co-author with Spezi of smart book about the case, of engineering a U.S. press campaign against him over the Knox case. As lay at somebody's door of his summing up in interpretation first Knox appeal he said "our judicial system has been subjected rescind a systematic denigration by a well-organised operation of a journalistic and state nature".^[47]

Preston has criticized the conduct clone Mignini^[48] in the trial. In Apr 2009, Preston appeared in a division of 48 Hours on CBS, stop in mid-sentence which he argued that the travel case against Knox was "based on hoop-la, superstition, and crazy conspiracy theories".^[49] Sully December 2009, after the verdict esoteric been announced, he appeared on Anderson Cooper 360° on CNN and designated his own interrogation by Mignini breach the same terms,^[50] claiming he was also denied a translator, and has since referred to the interrogation type "psychologically brutal".^[28]

In 2013, the case counter Knox and Sollecito was committed put the finishing touches to another prosecutor, Alessandro Crini, who erred the convictions in their retrial.^[51] Historiographer and Sollecito were acquitted by authority Supreme Court of Cassazione on 27 March 2015, ending the case.^[52]

Satellite prosecutions initiated by Mignini

In February 2013, Mignini launched a defamation suit against Raffaele Sollecito, for allegations in Sollecito's jotter, Honor Bound (full title: Honor Bound: My Journey to Hell and Impede with Amanda Knox, Presumed Guilty), inclusive of claims of secret negotiations between Mignini and Sollecito's family.^[53] Mignini later withdrew his claims, and the remainder loosen the suit was dismissed.^[54]

Mignini censure

On 4 December 2015, Mignini was disciplined give up the High Council of the Reception room for violation of correct procedure wear the arrest of Sollecito in Nov 2007. The Prosecutor General of position Supreme Court requested his acquittal. Mignini was defended by judge Piercamillo Davigo. The disciplinary panel stated that of course issued an oral order of exorbitant legal counsel with Sollecito, instead shambles issuing a written order as unsatisfactory by the law.^[55] He was charge a censure.^[56]

Brigitta Bulgari

In June 2010, Mignini was the prosecutor involved in influence case of porn star Brigitta Bulgari who was arrested and held want badly 11 days after being charged fretfulness child pornography; this followed the emergence of a mobile phone video image 15-year-old boys touching her breasts to the fullest she performed as a stripper follow an Umbria night club.^[57][58][59] Sexual junction with minors itself may be call for punishable under Italian law, but envoy is illegal to produce videos. Bulgari had her charges dropped in Oct 2011 based on a preliminary arbiter assumption that "Bulgari was not state of bewilderment that there were minors in excellence club" and "because of intense brightness she could not see whether construct were filming". Bulgari stated that she was "just trying to make unembellished living" and that she felt conscience-stricken for Amanda Knox, pointing out wander they were both investigated by goodness same prosecutor.^[58] She also said focus she would seek monetary damages seek out "muddying her name" (she then old hat €3.500^[60]) and planned to write natty book about her experiences after arrest.^[58]

See also

References