Some news sources have consistently misreported this as saying that they were being tried for "failing to predict the earthquake". That would, of-course, be nonsense as no-one can predict when an earthquake might strike. However, that is not what the prosecution said - their case was based on the scientists failing to communicate risk properly. Quoting the source: "The verdict was based on how they assessed and communicated risk before the earthquake that hit the city of L'Aquila on 6 April 2009, killing 309 people" That was the real reason.