Friends and family have begun to testify in the trial of former UW student Amanda Knox, and the defendant herself has taken the witness stand, testifying about her interrogation by authorities and the night that her former roommate, Meredith Kercher, was killed.

Knox was arrested and charged with murder and sexual assault in November 2007 while studying abroad in Perugia, Italy, after Kercher was found murdered in their home.

Knox’s former boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, was also charged in the incident, and a third suspect was sentenced to 30 years in prison after a fast-track trial.

The AP reported that Knox’s mother, Edda Mellas, testified last Friday about Knox and Kercher’s relationship and phone calls she received from her daughter around the time the body was found.

According to the seattlepi.com, Knox’s friend, Andrew Seliber, testified as a character witness on June 13, talking about a citation Knox received for noise from a band at a party during her time at the UW.

Knox testified in court on June 12, claiming that she smoked marijuana with Sollecito the night of the murder and was not at the residence. On the witness stand she said that police pressure led her to falsely accuse her former employer, Patrick Lumumba, of the crime. Lumumba is suing Knox for defamation.

Knox’s friends and family are glad to see that’s she’s now able to take the stand as a witness and express her side of the story.

“For almost two years now, nobody has ever really gotten the chance to see Amanda speak publicly,” said Knox’s friend, DJ Johnsrud. “Not surprisingly, people were impressed with her straightforward and impassioned responses in court.”

The expense of lawyers, expert witnesses and travel for the defense is estimated to amount to nearly $1 million.

However, the money is helping Knox’s case. Last week, new evidence was introduced into the case that worked in Knox’s favor.

According to the Seattle Times, the coroner called in by the defense found that the knife that police thought was the murder weapon was not the knife that had been used in Kercher’s murder.

The Italian court will break for several months this summer during the trial that began in January of this year. Johnsrud says the trial was originally scheduled to end in May, but now the jury comprised of six citizens and two judges is expected to reach a verdict this fall.

Reach reporter Lexie Krell at news@dailyuw.com.