ABOVE: former Getty antiquities curator Marion True is hounded by reporters on her way to her first court appearance in Rome yesterday.

Well, the Italians took a good long time building their case against a group of people they are convinced have dealt in looted antiquities, but once they hit the gas, they really hit it. It was only about 6 weeks ago that the news first hit that the Getty was under investigation for buying artifacts of doubtful provenance, and yesterday the former Getty curator, Marion True, appeared in a Roman court for her first ride on the see-saw of justice. She is defending herself on two charges of trafficking in stolen antiquities, and faces eight years in jail if convicted.

Yesterday’s court visit was heavy on defence arguments and was apparently dryly technical, so there were no stirring courtroom speeches or other Law & Order entertainments on hand. True left without saying anything to the press, and we can’t really blame her for that. The trial resumes on December 5, so we’ll swing this way again in a few weeks.

LINK: BBC > Ex-Getty curator appears in court