Maryland Circuit Court Judge Sets Child Rapist Free, Laments Missed Opportunity
July 23rd, 2007 at 10:17 pm by Preston Taylor HolmesMaryland Circuit Court Judge Katherine Savage recently set a child rapist free because she was too busy downloading Melissa Etheridge MP3s to walk down to the community college and scare up an interpreter for her trial.
What was missing — for much of the nearly three years that followed — was an interpreter fluent in the suspect’s native language. A judge recently dropped the charges, not because she found that Mahamu Kanneh had been wrongly accused but because repeated delays in the case had, in her view, violated his right to a speedy trial.
Truly tragic, that.
Savage also noted (off the record) that she was sad that she never really got to know Mahamu. Perhaps it was just a tribal family custom, she added…
In a charging document, Detective Omar Hasan wrote that the girl “attempted to physically stop the behavior from the defendant, but was unsuccessful.” Hasan wrote that Kanneh threatened the young girl “with not being able to leave the apartment unless she engaged in sexual behavior with the defendant.”
Savage also lamented the fate of the 7-year-old girl. If the girl’s mother had exercised her right to choose, none of this bad publicity would have ever happened, she sighed.
Oh, and that interpreter? Maybe they shouldn’t have looked so hard after all. Then again, if the WaPo can find them in a day, so can anyone.
With help from the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators, The Washington Post identified three Vai interpreters Thursday, including one in Gaithersburg. Lionbridge, a company that offers interpretation services, said it could provide Vai speakers on short notice. Knight said her office had been diligent. “It’s these rare languages we’re struggling with so much,” she said.
That other thing you’re struggling with so much? Human decency.
July 24th, 2007 at 5:42 am
My head is spinning around like in the Exorcist.
It was only 24 days ago in Tennessee when Jessica’s law went into effect. Prior to that, there was no mandatory jail sentencing for CONVICTED child rapists in TN.
But hey, I know people in jail for smoking pot.
So glad our system has its priorities straight.
July 24th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Sharon,
Do you really know people who are in jail for smoking pot? I really doubt that…but I’d love to know the exact details. Perhaps they are in jail for pot+theft or pot+assault or pot+driving under the influence.
As far as what happened in Maryland…as whacked as the judge was with her decision, the prosecution had a duty to reveal to the court that the scumbag defendant spoke FLUENT English. They dragged their feet…this case should have been tried 3 years ago and this guy should have been in a Maryland “pound-me-in-the-ass” prison for 20 years.
July 24th, 2007 at 11:55 am
[...] Guess not. Maryland Circuit Court Judge Katherine Savage recently set a child rapist free because she was too busy downloading Melissa Etheridge MP3s to walk down to the community college and scare up an interpreter for her trial. … The trial date was extended repeatedly as the state and the defense argued over whether Kanneh needed an interpreter and whether he understood the legal proceedings. The state noted that Kanneh attended high school and community college in Montgomery and spoke to detectives in English. The defense insisted that he needed an interpreter to fully understand the proceedings. [...]
July 24th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
Hey,, Just a minute here,, I only speak red-neck, maybe I could get outta’ that speeding ticket due to the lack of an interpreter.
July 24th, 2007 at 4:05 pm
Nigel,
Not at the exact moment. I had a friend taken in when stopped for traffic ticket, the cop saw
1/2 joint in his ashtray, and yes, he was in jail for a few days.
I have known many people throughout time who have gone to jail for smoking pot.
I wrote what I did for emphasis…our priorities all messed up.
July 24th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
So there you go…that is driving under the influence and drug possession. In other words,your friend wasn’t in jail merely for smoking pot…he was a moron for driving around wasted as well. He deserved a couple of days. Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time…
However your original point is well-taken. You rape/molest a kid, then your ass should be in the dirtiest and foulest prison with a sign on it that says “Open 24 hours”.
(Actually, I’d suggest “The Needle” for that crime, but I know how liberals abhor that kind of justice).
July 25th, 2007 at 6:23 am
arghhh… a true failure of common sense. While it seems possible that a conviction might have been overturned on appeal because the defendant wasn’t able to contribute to his own defense – it seems they coulda/ shoulda had a hearing to determine his ability to understand. A few witnesses from his high school should have done it – but also the official language of Liberia is English.
July 27th, 2007 at 9:31 am
Just another happy day in the People’s Republic of Maryland:!:
As soon as I retire I am soooo moving somewhere sane.
August 1st, 2007 at 7:04 am
Craziness.
As a former Judge, I can tell you that I’d have tried the case in English and let the fucker appeal.
A college degree in the USA creates a presumption of English capability. This guy would have been serving his sentence while his appeal droned on, but he would have been inside looking out (with a few new friends inside of him as well)