Politickin' With John Brown: When Americans Get Locked Up Abroad

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The 26-year sentence handed down to American Amanda Knox in Italy last Friday sparked fiery debate about the fairness of international trials. Convicted of murdering her roommate with a knife, the evidence was largely based on demonizing her character as a sinister sex-freak, and serious doubts have been raised about her guilt. Although the American judicial system is no stranger to wrongful convictions or false imprisonments, mass media heightens the coverage when U.S. citizens get locked up in foreign territories - usually due to the detainee's affluent status.

Each year over 3,000 Americans are arrested abroad, with the majority occurring in Mexico, likely due to its close proximity to the States. And the punishments range in severity. So to put Knox's sentence into perspective and to avoid similar scenarios, here's some other high-profile detainments of Yankees on foreign soil ... Â

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Amanda Knox, Perugia, Italy, 2009
• While the stiff sentence has been issued to the 22-year-old Seattle native, the court itself is now on trial amongst public opinion. Knox's parents spent over $1 million defending their daughter who allegedly slashed Meredith Kercher's throat in a drug-induced sex rage. Although specific evidence might support the prosecution's theory, there are considerable lingering questions that lean more towards a cover-up than a case closed. To be continued.