Md. Judge Dismisses Sex-Abuse Charges Clerk Is Unable To Find Suitable Translator In Time

The Washington Post ^ | July 22, 2007 | Ernesto Londano

[khnyny]

A 7-year-old girl said she had been raped and repeatedly molested over the course of a year. Police in Montgomery County, acting on information from a relative, soon arrested a Liberian immigrant living in Gaithersburg. They marshaled witnesses and DNA evidence to prepare for 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.

"This is one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in a long time," Katherine D. Savage said from the bench Tuesday, noting that she was mindful of "the gravity of this case and the community's concern about offenses of this type."

Loretta E. Knight, the Circuit Court clerk responsible for finding interpreters, said her office searched exhaustively for a speaker of Vai, a tribal language spoken in West Africa. They contacted the Liberian Embassy, she said, and courts in all but three states. Linguists estimate that 100,000 people speak Vai, mostly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

[khnyny]

Ridiculous situation. The judge needs to be fired.

[Old Student]

“If it was my kid he molested, he wouldn’t need an interpretor, he’d need an undertaker.”

You know, I think that is totally the wrong attitude. What he should need is extensive reconstructive surgery, and years of rehabilitation. Not to mention a colostomy bag, and Foley catheter, and IV nourishment. Don’t kill them, maim them, so they have time to think about what they did wrong, and no physical capability to do anything about it.

I am getting really, REALLY TIRED of waste like this... /rant

[CholeraJoe]

Nearly every cab driver in DC is from Sub-Saharan Africa. Surely to goodness the prosecutor could have found one who spoke this man’s language.

[stuartcr]

Unfortunately, you’d then probably be the one on trial...

[Steamburg]

It concerns me that I follow your logic.

[btcusn]

If it was my kid he molested, he wouldn’t need an interpretor, he’d need an undertaker.

We think alike!(scary, isn’t it!!)
Jack

[JZelle]

The old Sammy Sosa defense.

[khnyny]

It’s much more effective (and legal) to go after the judge and overhaul our stupid legal sytems. It is a tedious, frustrating process to attempt to deal with a bureaucracy, but it’s all we’ve got.

From what’s been written about this case, the judge and the court handling this case are grossly negligent.

[khnyny]

This woman is a sorry excuse for a judge. Hiding behind her made up ruling. She should be immediately taken off the bench. There is no excuse for this.

It makes no sense, whatsoever.

[Biblebelter]

I will play the gender card. The responsibility for this travesty falls on two women. I remember when women professed feminism, and crimes of rape were taken seriously, to the point of missionary zeal. Obviously, bureaucratic laziness and judicial sloppiness are not gender specific and have replaced ANY feminist zeal these two scumbags might have ever had. I am no feminist. I am a gentleman and I think rape is a horrendous crime and the rape of child even more horrendous. Liberals have pretty much taken rape off the board of hot issues when they blindly ignored the history of a serial rapist, named Slick Willie.

[sr4402]

That's correct. The initial interview by the police with the perp was conducted in English, and apparently, the suspect was quite proficient (at least until it went to trial).

This is why English needs to be set as the default language so that their can be no abuse of justice like this. If English was the default language required for citizenship and the perpetrator spoke in English, there would have been no room for the Judge to let off this child rapist.

See what liberalism has brought us; just more and more degradation of the law. Remember, Bill Clinton as President said "it depends on what the definition of the word 'Is', 'Is'"

[rideharddiefast]

Any lawyers wonder why they have a bad reputation! What a scumbag, gets his child rapist off by scamming the court.

I would say scumbag judge. It is the lawyers job to get their defendant off. It is the judge's job to see that justice is done.

[GladesGuru]

“She should be immediately taken off the bench.”

Can’t be done - she is a member of two ‘priviliged classes’. She is female, and she is a lawyer.

[dennisw]

Loretta E. Knight (D)

Office Sought: Montgomery County Clerk of the Circuit Court
Age: 64
Residence: Germantown.
Education: Legal secretary certificate, Washington School for Secretaries; course work, National Center for State Courts.
Occupation: Deputy clerk and manager, civil division, Montgomery County Circuit Court.
Web site: http://www.lorettaknight.com
E-mail address: leknight4@msn.com

Elected offices/civic activities:

Member, NAACP, Northern Montgomery Women's Democratic Club, Montgomery County Agricultural Center; Grace United Methodist Church administrative board; past member, Germantown Citizens Association; past volunteer, American Red Cross Emergency Relief; past

 

Why should voters elect you?

"Directly applicable experience and accrued knowledge as deputy clerk make me the proven candidate, passionate to make the clerk's office the best it can be."

 

What do you think is the most urgent problem facing your jurisdiction?

"The most urgent issue facing the clerk of court is to provide the public with easier access to court records and with safeguards against identity theft. In today's world of advanced technology, the clerk of the court must continue to progress toward a paperless courthouse. Currently, both the land records and the licensing department are close to being on the Internet completely. I want for everyone to be able to access the courthouse from the comfort of their own home or office and for attorneys to be able to save time and expense for their clients."

[khnyny]

According to the article:

“Knight said the county spent nearly $1 million on interpreters last year, 10 times the amount it spent in 2000. “It’s a constant struggle, and it is extremely expensive,” she said.”

This, imho, is a huge problem. Also, this inept, liberal county, Montgomery County, spent nearly $1 million on interpreters, and they still couldn’t get it right in this case? The WP found an interpreter with a couple phone calls.

Gross overspending and government incompetence at work with our tax dollars.

[Dandydoodley]

This judge gives validity to the phrase “stench from the bench” (ò¿ó)

[stephenjohnbanker]

BUMP

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Loretta E. Knight, the Circuit Court clerk responsible for finding interpreters, said her office searched exhaustively for a speaker of Vai, a tribal language spoken in West Africa. They contacted the Liberian Embassy, she said, and courts in all but three states. Linguists estimate that 100,000 people speak Vai, mostly in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

On his 630 WMAL radio show this morning, Chris Core found potential interpreters in about thirty seconds.

[weegee]

Meanwhile Tom DeLay has not seen his day in court yet either because the prosecutor is dragging his heels.