Posted by
Jason on Monday, July 23, 2007 12:11:01 PM
Disclaimer: I'm just an average guy...
Here's what I think anyway... What could be worse than the repeated rape and molestation of a seven-year old girl? I'll tell you... The rapist is arrested, there is a very strong case assembled (including DNA and credible witnesses), and then he's returned to the streets without a trial. What could be the reason for this travesty? Judge Katherine D. Savage dismissed the charges against Mahamu Kanneh because a translator could not be found for the defendant's native language, Vai (which is spoken in parts of Africa), and the delay in finding a translator, "violated his right to a speedy trial."
He spoke English well enough to attend high school and college in the United States. He spoke English well enough to talk with detectives about the case. And allegedly, he spoke English well enough to tell a seven-year-old-girl that she couldn't leave his apartment until she engaged in sexual behavior with him. But a psychologist determined he did not speak English well enough to, "understand the proceedings against him." I wonder how that assessment went...
SHRINK: Do you speak English well enough to understand the proceedings against you?
KANNEH: Uh... no I don't. My native language is Vai, a rare dialect that is only spoken in remote parts of Africa.
SHRINK: Yep. You're going to need an interpreter then.
He repeatedly raped a little girl! He knows what he's there for! And if he does need a translator, you work harder to find one. Enlist someone other than your court clerk... like the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters perhaps. Though the name is quite vague, apparently they exist to help courts locate JUDICIARY INTERPRETERS!!!! The Washington Post enlisted them and was able to find 3 translators in one day, including one in same town as the court!!!
Or you could just set him free to destroy the lives of other innocent children... whatever's good for you, Judge. Heck, I bet if this bench gig doesn't work out, there's a desk waiting for you at the ACLU.
Article to Reference:
1. "Maryland Judge Dismisses Sex-Abuse Charges"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/21/AR2007072100660.html
2. "Alleged Child Rapist Goes Free Because Court Can't Find Interpreter"
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,290300,00.html