The enclosed self-explanatory reply from the US Department of State was recently recieved in response to the inquiry my office made on your behalf.
Please know of my continued interest in your husband's case. Upon receipt of the post's report or any further information, we will be back in touch with you.
Please let us know if you have any additional information or if there have been any changes in your case. My staff contact on this case is Phyllis Coleman.
Sincerely,
Sue Kelly
Member of Congress
United States Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Ms. Kelly:
This is in reponse to your letter of November 13, regarding your constituent, Theodore Maher, who is incarcerated in Monaco.
As you know, the Department of State and the Consulate General in Marseille have worked closely with Mr. Maher, his family, and the Monegasque authorities to ensure that his rights and interests are duly protected under international law and in accordance with the customary practices in such cases. Our consular officer in Marseille has continued to monitor Mr. Maher's case closely, and consular staff members have continued to hold frequent visits with him at the Monaco Jail to monitor his condition and discuss his concerns. Our consular officer's most recent visit with Mr. Maher was on December 19. We will provide you with a readout on the visit once we receive post's report, expected shortly. We expect it will include details on Mr Maher's release from solitary confinement, and on the status of visits by members of the clergy. We will try to provide this information to you through your office's e-mail address to expedite your receipt of this information.
We sympathize with Mrs. Maher's concerns about her husband's situation. As your letter notes, there are many differences between the legal systems of the United States and Monaco. Pretrial detention may be lengthy, as the investigating magistrate may extend the detention period for two-month periods indefinately. The pretrial investigation can also be of considerable length. Closure of the investigation can be dependant on the resolution of appeals on both criminal and civil cases, since civil and criminal cases may be folded together into the same deliberation under Monegasque law. The most recent delays in setting a trail date in Mr. Maher's case appear to be caused by appeals from other parties in the civil side of the case. Once a trial begins, a three-judge panel will consider the evidence collected by the investigating magistrate, and hear the arguments presented by prosecuting and defense attorneys.
Members of our Consular Affairs staff met with the Monaco Consul General in Washington on November 29, and requested that the Consul General relay our concerns over delays to the Monagasque Ministry of Foreign Affairs in setting a trial date for Mr. Maher's case. The Department will continue to work with Mr. Maher's attorneys and Monagasque authorities to ensure that he receives due process under local law.
I hope this information is of assistance to you. Please feel free to contact Brrian Lieke of the Office of American Citizens Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs on this matter at (202) 647-6178.
Sincerely,
Paul V. Kelly
Assistant Secretary
Legislative Affairs
It's now Wednesday March 20, 2002, today -- which, I needn't tell you of all people, MrsM.
If Dubya were to just pick up his BatPhone, ringup the *Prince* & simply ask him, "What's the deal here with our citizen you're holding, Ted Maher?"
~Amazing *things* would begin to happen.
That *a* pol & low level bureaucrat or two are in there pitching not on behalf of Ted Maher's recieving justice or his treatment *until then*; but, what sounds (to me) only so far as to urge Ted's case be "expidited"?
~Thanks for nothing, Congresswoman!
Obviously, that's not going be nearly enough to impress, or motivate the Monaco ghouls who've their hooks in Ted to do a thing; not, until they're ready.
What's really needed here, is a *Big Gun* poking 'em in the eye & jabbin' 'em in the ribs.
Or else, the idiots are liable to come up with these delays ad nauseum ad infinitum.
*That*, is as wrong as wrong can possibly (ever) be & that's my beef with our government.
These people don't seem to be able to see the forest through the trees; &, this isn't the time for bureacratic goobledegook.
Ted's clock is ticking; & has been ticking for over 800 days, now.
Again; you above anyone know this all too well -- this I know.
It just galls me to no end reading the balony from those people.
I just hope you & the babies are doing as well as can be expected, under the circumstance.
You just keep that chin up now, y'hear?
We're all with you; and, in a strange way imprisoned right along with Ted, as we await his release.
-BTTT-