Former exchange student Amanda Knox was found guilty of murder on Thursday by an Italian appeals court. She was sentenced to 28 1/2 years in prison–but, because she now lives in Seattle, she probably won't serve the time.

As you may recall, Knox was accused of murder when her roommate was found dead in a pool of her own blood back in 2007. Knox and her roommate were both exchange students studying abroad in Italy. Knox and her alleged co-conspirator, then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, were convicted during their first trial in 2009. The charges were overturned on appeal, after Knox had spent four years in jail.

But the court system didn't stop there: the Italian supreme court vacated that decision, sending the case back to appeals. Despite pleading innocent, both were found guilty once again today. In addition to Knox's sentence, Sollecito was sentenced to 25 years. His lawyers say they will appeal.

Knox's fate is more complicated. After her initial release, she immediately went back to Seattle, where she still lives. According to the typical legal process, this means extradition hearings can now begin. However, one expert at CNN claims that Knox stands a good chance of not having to serve her sentence "because U.S. law dictates that a person cannot be tried twice on the same charge."

[image from Knox's 2011 homecoming via AP]