PERUGIA, Italy, July 4 (UPI) -- The judge in the Italian police's libel case against Amanda Knox's parents dropped out Monday because of his role in the American student's murder trial.
Judge Paolo Micheli recused himself from Perugia police's claim against Edna Mellas and Curt Knox and adjourned the case until Jan. 24, CNN reported.
Officers sued the parents for defamation for accusing them of mistreating the student after her 2007 arrest in the murder of her British roommate, Meredith Kercher.
Last week, in a major gain for Knox's appeal of her conviction, forensic experts Carla Vecchiotti and Stefano Conti questioned DNA evidence linking both Knox and Kercher to a knife that prosecutors said was the murder weapon.
Mellas said Monday her daughter was "thrilled" at the finding.
She said Knox had "a little bit more hope that this is all going to turn out the way it should. I mean, as an innocent person it's really hard for her."
Defense lawyer Luciano Ghirga said the conclusions "are clear to everyone -- there is a probability of contamination" of the evidence.
Knox, 23, was sentenced in 2009 to 26 years for Kercher's death and her then-boyfriend, Rafaelle Sollecito, to 25 years.
Rudy Guede, who is serving 16 years, testified against Knox's appeal in June.
