Posted on 07/23/2007 11:16:51 AM PDT by Kaslin
ROCKVILLE, Md. — The prosecutor in the case of a Liberian native charged with repeatedly raping and molesting a 7-year-old girl said Monday that he is filing an appeal of a controversial judge's ruling that dismissed all charges because an interpreter who spoke the suspect's rare West African dialect could not be found.
Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy called the ruling last Tuesday by Judge Katherine Savage "improper," adding that his office has "requested that an appeal be taken to reverse the court's order."
Savage ruled on July 17 that Mahamu Kanneh, a Liberian who received asylum in the U.S. and attended high school and community college here, was denied a speedy trial after three years awaiting a court-appointed interpreter who could speak the tribal language of Vai. Linguists estimate that only 100,000 people speak Vai.
Savage called her decision one of the most difficult she's had to make in a long time, especially since she was aware of "the gravity of this case and the community's concern about offenses of this type."
Det. Omar Hasan wrote in the charging document that the victim "attempted to physically stop the behavior from the defendant, but was unsuccessful," the Washington Post reported. Kanneh threatened the young girl "with not being able to leave the apartment unless she engaged in sexual behavior with the defendant," Hasan wrote in his report.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Prosecutor Appeals Ruling That Dismissed Rape Charges Against Liberian Man Because Interpreter Could Not Be Found
Seems to me that in three years, he could have learned English for crying out loud.
He knew English. HE KNEW. All along, he knew English. Have they all gone nuts?? This is nuts.
Well it says he went to high school and college here in the U.S., that’s good enough for me. I’m guessing the very-rare interpreters weren’t there either.
Uh, if the guy attended high school and college in the U.S., he should be pretty fluent in English by now.
This judge should be removed from office for letting such a heinous pedophile go free.
Of course he knew English. He went to school in Maryland and graduated from Highschool. He even went to Community College
I heard a part of a news story last week that said after the media got a hold of the ruling several reporters were able to find interpreters in a matter of a few phone calls.
She should indeed be removed. I bet Bill O’Reilly will bring it up on his show tonight or tomorrow. Many Sean Hannity will too
Also:” Kanneh threatened the young girl “with not being able to leave the apartment unless she engaged in sexual behavior with the defendant,” Hasan wrote in his report.”
So either the little girl knew his strange lingo, or he KNEW English.
I was still waiting for the rest ofthe article to load for me when I typed my response, I didn’t want to use the number 3 in case I han’t heard correctly.
annoyed me to no end.
I did too, and even the Washington Post had reported that they found three interpreters
I was just talking about this case with some colleagues this morning.
I absolutely would appeal and try to make law with this case. The PC practice of providing court interpreters at taxpayer expense is maddening. Some of these interpreters charge as much as $100.00 per hour, which is way more than anyone else sitting in the courtroom makes, particularly the Judge.
Does anyone really think that if we were arrested for a crime in China, or France, or Mexico, they would be bending over backwards to provide English interpreters for us?
This is beside the point that the guy could definitely speak English!!
How in the world did this judge become a lawyer much less a judge? She has no common sense at all?
Naw, he knew English. He graduated in MD from Highschool and went to a Community College
A review by FOX News of the audio from that hearing shows, however, that an interpreter was present throughout the entire court proceeding, during which time Kanneh's lawyer, Theresa Chernosky, argued that her client had not been able to get a good job because of unresolved rape charges.
Chernosky is heard also telling Savage that her client works at a gas station, and has not signed up for school because of the uncertainty about his future. The translator can be heard throughout the entire hearing.
Savage, however, notes to that the events in the case were "unforeseeable, truly difficult in terms of the interpreter issue."
This man was educated here in America....he speaks very good English. Thank you Bill and Hillary Clinton for demanding translators be made available in court rooms, hospitals, class rooms, prison and on and on ad nauseum. Political Correctness marches on...............
Everybody is saying he “knew” English. You all mean he “KNOWS” English, don’t ya?
They HAD an interpreter. See post 17, or the story at the link.
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