Two Saturdays ago, graduates of the class of 2009 sweated under the sun of Husky Stadium.

Amanda Knox would have been among them. Instead, she perspired under the stark lights and solemn questioning of an Italian courtroom.

In a study-abroad nightmare, the former UW student was arrested in November 2007 and charged with the murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher, while in Perugia, Italy. The trial launched in January; Knox, 21, began testifying June 12. The court, which is only in session Fridays and Saturdays, is now about to hang up the gavel for a cushy summer vacation.

To an American, this offers an odd snapshot of justice.

Many in the public sphere are quick to point an incriminating finger at the Italian court system. Even the politically attuned journalists at Marie Claire disparaged it as complicated and corrupt — and as a women’s beauty magazine, they should know what they’re talking about.

An ocean away from the action, the U.S. legal system remains about as popular as a liver-flavored cupcake. Whether they’re dodging jury duty like it’s the next global pandemic or suing a fast-food chain for making their kid fat, Americans have gained notoriety for abusing the system and then whining about its lack of efficiency.

So, let’s brush up a bit on Italian law, a subject most of us last studied … well, probably never. It should place our own judicial system into a decidedly more attractive light.

Following her arrest, Knox was detained in prison for almost a year before being formally charged with murder by the Italian courts. This was not unusual: In Italy, a suspect can be held for up to 12 months without being charged with a crime.

When a case finally goes to trial, the accused do not swear an oath in court and are therefore under no obligation to answer questions truthfully. The defendant, who is permitted to interrupt the proceedings or refuse to respond at any time, is expected to lie, legal analyst Lisa Bloom reported on CBS News.

While defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, as outlined in the Italian constitution, the supremacy of the prosecutor essentially negates this stipulation, and the justice system often buckles to their whim. Unfortunately for Knox, her prosecutor, Giuliano Mignini — who himself is under investigation for abuse of power, which, strangely, does not prohibit him from acting as prosecutor — theorizes that she was involved in a satanic ritual and orgy gone awry. He appears poised to prove it: It’s safe to assume that Mignini’s opinion of the young American rivals a slug’s opinion of salt.

And, the Italians don’t afford the luxury of unanimity available in most state courts. A verdict is determined by a majority vote of six jurors — ordinary citizens plucked for duty — and two judges. Five people utter “sì” and Knox can bank on celebrating her 50th birthday in prison.

This is not to say that our system — though it should be valued — is flawless. Lawsuits are processed at a glacial speed, and charges of corruption float through the sometimes-murky judicial pond. But at the very least, our defendants are treated a touch more humanely when sweating it out on the witness stand.

Reach features editor Rachel Solomon at opinion@dailyuw.com.