The trial of former Getty Museum antiquities curator Marion True on the criminal charges that she had conspired to traffic in looted artefacts is over. Today (Weds 13th October) the the Rome judge ended the proceedings on the grounds that the statute of limitations had expired. This long case [series of cases] has had a considerable effect on the acquisition policies of American museums.
She had been charged by an Italian prosecutor in 2005 on the basis of her apparent involvement in a number of purchases for the Getty Museum collections of items which turned out to have been of questionable origins. Readers will know that the whole saga began in 1995 when authorities raided Giacomo Medici's warehouse in Geneva. Among its contents were his records which included Polaroid photographs of hundreds of items which appeared to be recently looted antiquities, and many of them could be traced to museums across the United States, Europe and Asia. Some are still turning up today in auction rooms. Medici was convicted on antiquity trafficking charges and his conviction was twice upheld on appeal. His business partner Robert Hecht remains on trial as the alleged head of the conspiracy to trade in these items, but the statute of limitations on his charges will expire in July. True had dealings with both Medici and Hecht. The alleged conspiracy between Hecht, Medici and True would have continued until April 2002 (the date of a letter between True and Hecht, under that analysis, the crime expired in July).
Jason Felch, 'Charges dismissed against ex-Getty curator Marion True by Italian judge', LA Times, October 13, 2010
Nadja Brandt, 'Italy Drops Charges Against Ex-Curator Marion True, Getty Says', Bloomberg Business Week, October 13, 2010.
Elisabetta Povoledo, ' Time Limit Ends Antiquities Case Of Ex-Curator' New York Times ("Art and Design'), October 13, 2010.
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