The No Talkie Defense
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Katherine D. Savage dismissed the charges against and released Mahamu Kanneh, who was accused of repeated raping and otherwise sexually molesting a seven year old girl of the course of a year. The Liberian immigrant was not released due to lack of evidence but due to the fact that he supposedly didn’t speak enough English!
Judge Savage decided that, after three years of supposedly trying to get a translator for Mr. Kanneh’s native Vai tongue – a tribal language spoken by approximately 100,000 people worldwide – that Mr. Kanneh’s right to a speedy trial had been violated.
This is one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make in a long time
— Judge Katherine D. Savage
The Author wonders how it could be other a “most difficult decision” to release an accused child rapist back into society without first allowing a jury to determine his guilt or innocence. Judge Savage had to carefully weigh the facts that: Mahama Kanneh attended high school and community college in Maryland, spoke English to detective and court representatives throughout the proceedings, and had previously waved his right to a speedy trial so that his defense team could conduct its own analysis of DNA evidence. It must have been very hard for Judge Savage to twist the facts in such a way so as to be able to possibly release yet another pedophile back into society.
This must have been especially difficult for Judge Savage to accomplished since one of the primary purposes for The Right To A Speedy And Public Trial is to prevent undue and oppressive incarceration prior to trial. Mahamu Kanneh had only spent one night in jail and was released on a $10,000 bond with the restriction that he have no contact with minors.
Go to the Washingnton Post for the full story.
Tags: Courts | Injustice | Law | Legal System | Prejudice
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:05 pm
Does anyone have any contact info for Judge Savage? I would like to volunteer to serve as a translator for this defendante because I fluently speak the official language of his native country (Liberia), which is ENGLISH! Savage is so offensive, she should be put on the sex offender registry herself.
July 23rd, 2007 at 3:13 pm
I have to disagree with your opinion that Judge Savage should be put on the sex offender registry herself. She should be removed from the bench and disbarred for perverting the cause of justice. Perhaps she should be criminally charged with hindering the prosecution.
Kanneh IS innocent until proven guilty so Savage didn’t – by law – release a child rapist. She prevented the jury from EVER making that decision!
Check out my post – The Short Defense; there’s a judge that needs to be on sex offender registry!
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:20 pm
I’m not too well versed on the US justice system, but this seems absurd even to me, someone who lives in a land where the law is bent at will.
Also, I read your post The Short Defence and it horrified me. How could such a ridiculous verdict stand?
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
The verdict may not stand; it’s being appealed.
As to how these things happen, the US is just now – after 229 years – attempting to implement a Judicial Accountability Program. It’ll probably take another decade or so to get it in all 50 states and working even close to properly.