Michelle Malkin » Document drop: Indictment of Mahamu D. Kanneh

Document drop: Indictment of Mahamu D. Kanneh

By Michelle Malkin • July 23, 2007 09:56 PM

I asked the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for the indictment of Mahamu D. Kanneh, the accused immigrant child molester let off because of a lack of a translator. There were nine counts against him involving not one, but two girls–both relatives of Kanneh. I’ve blocked out their names. Here’s the six-page indictment:

Fox News has the latest:

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.”

…Court records, meanwhile, show that an interpreter was “sworn” by a Maryland court on the same day Savage dismissed the case, FOXNews.com has learned. Loretta Knight, a clerk with the court system in Montgomery County, Md., claimed she had been unable to find an interpreter to stay on the case, even after an exhaustive search that included the Liberian Embassy and courts in 47 states. But a look at the court docket for July 17, the day the case was dismissed, shows the entry “Interpreter sworn.” Several items below in the docket, Judge Savage “grants defendant’s oral motion to dismiss case based on a speedy trial violation.”

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.” She then tells the court that “in spite of herculean efforts on the part of the state’s attorney … time has become the enemy.” “What we come back to, then … too much time has passed, is that it’s the defendant who hold speedy trial rights.”

The Washington Post reported, however, that Kanneh had waived his rights to a speedy trial.

Why Savage dismissed the case when records indicate an interpreter had been sworn is just one of several questions raised by an examination of records by FOXNews.com.

Records from a case-worker report dated Oct. 31, 2006, show that the case worker visited Kanneh’s residence to check on him and instead found another sex offender, Sehkou Massaquoi, at the home along with two male children who shared the last name of the defendant.

Posted in: Deportation Abyss, Document drop

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#1

On July 23rd, 2007 at 10:04 pm, jrlingreenbay said:

Great job on the Factor tonight, Michelle.

This story is getting more twisted by the moment…..

It will be interesting and probably heartbreaking to see how the next few days go with news about this.
#2

On July 23rd, 2007 at 10:15 pm, AlohaGuy said:

Michelle, you really get the facts. There aren’t many actual journalists left. Keep on it, this slug needs to be in prison, and the judge needs to feel the heat.
#3

On July 23rd, 2007 at 10:33 pm, Kimmer said:

Mark Levin tonight stated that this man had enough command of the English language to complete school. Educational language levels are higher than mere conversational language competence, so one would think that there should be no problem with his comprehension. Hell, how much does the average perp understand the legalese bandied around in court anyway?
#4

On July 23rd, 2007 at 10:41 pm, zorro said:

Having just read the above details, I am sickened. How a court can twist our laws and events to allow this predator off the hook is numbing.

Thanks for your determination to expose the truth Michelle.
#5

On July 23rd, 2007 at 11:31 pm, RenaOConnor said:

Its disgusting that our courts have gotten so lazy and scared to try cases such as these and forgetting and negating the rights of the victims.

I hope the prosecutors win the appeal and take this guy out of society, preferably deporting yet another criminal who slipped through the system to get in the US.

What I’d like to know is on what grounds did he get asylum in the US?
#6

On July 24th, 2007 at 12:04 am, puhiawa said:

The official language of Liberia is English. That is the language this man used on his Emigration application. He has been in an American college for 2 years, taking classes in English. Maybe the Judge should take a class in the same language. Or maybe this Judge has an ulterior motive. Hmmmm
#7

On July 24th, 2007 at 12:42 am, palani said:

Interesting contribution, puhiawa.

The question begged is why must we provide translators for every obscure foreign language in our courts, out voting booths, and our schools? Perhaps understanding English should weigh more heavily in approving immigration cards and amnesty petitions.
#8

On July 24th, 2007 at 12:51 am, fulldroolcup said:

Golly! I can see an “out” for very Amerind or Mexican indian illegal who kills someone: pass yourself off as speaking only a rare “tribal” language! I mean, how many speakers can be found who speak, say, a dialect of Ute? Or one spoken only in a small area of a Mexican state?

Where do we get these absolutely STUPID “judges”? I know! They are Jimmah and Bilk Linton appointees!

And think about this, ladies and gents: the judge here is a putative woman!!! A woman, a judge, and a moral imbecile in a child rape case!!

It’s a liberal trifecta!

Michelle: do you have email/phone numbers we can use to lean on this airhead “judge”?

And, Is being “let off via a dismissed indictment ” the same as being no longer indictable? If a prosecutor has an indictment quashed for some reason, isn’t he allowed to cure his indictment with new facts, and new statements of the indictable offenses?

IIRC Double jeopardy applies only to retrials after a verdict is rendered, right?
#9

On July 24th, 2007 at 2:35 am, puhiawa said:

Which makes one think that this Judge was trying to create a priveledge for people who cannot or do not wish to speak English. A priveledge to prey on the society that she is so unwilling to protect.
#10

On July 24th, 2007 at 7:39 am, ajmontana said:

Perfect Headline on Fox this morning…

“Lost in Translation”
#11

On July 24th, 2007 at 8:05 am, Buzzy said:

Anyone want to bet that if the DEMs win the White House in ‘08 that this judge is right at the top of the list for an appointment to SCOTUS.
#12

On July 24th, 2007 at 8:16 am, jrlingreenbay said:

I see many comments laying this at the judge’s feet, but I think the greater failure is with the prosecutor.

This case has gone on and on - and the facts we’re discussing here about obvious discrepencies in this man’s inability to understand English HAD to have been discussed in the prosecutor’s office - at least you would think so.

How can the prosecutor have been unable to get this case moved forward without a translator with such glaring evidence of this man’s ability to understand our language? High School? College? Interviews with the media? All in English.

If these arguments were made, and the judge still allowed the defense to stymie the procedings with requests for a translator, then, I agree, fault would lie with the her. However, if the prosecutor went along without challenging this man’s ability to speak / understand English, then their office dropped the ball.
#13

On July 24th, 2007 at 8:17 am, 3Steps said:

Well, this is the perfect example of why we do need to go to the hassle of making one official language for the US.

Since I can’t speak spanish.. I’m hoping for English. But at this point I don’t even care. As long as there is ONLY ONE.

It sickens me that the system protects people like that. I don’t care if raping kids is ok in other countries. It’s not here.

Or it is here and I’m just the stupid one?
#14

On July 24th, 2007 at 10:03 am, Boomer said:

Clinton’s executive order requiring a Government (taxpayer) provided interpreter for anyone doing business with the Government strikes again. Too bad the sitting President doesn’t want to cancel the extravagant waste of taxpayer’s money and the Government’s time (which is also our money going down the toilet). This is only the tip of the iceberg I fear it is only going to get worse as Liberal judges fail to protect our laws and the victims of criminal behavior.
#15

On July 24th, 2007 at 11:16 am, jrlingreenbay said:

After reading the paperwork linked by Fox’s site - I see multiple Grand Jury indictments - I see psychologist statements stating that the defendant has a good working knowledge of English and understands the charges and is capable of assisting his attorneys.

What more does the court need? Good Lord.
#16

On July 24th, 2007 at 12:35 pm, ammonrae said:

Throw him in jail. I don’t see any info that he is illegal.
#17

On July 24th, 2007 at 1:28 pm, Chief RZ said:

This is what is called a “technicality”. This is what sometimes leads good men to take measures into their own hands. Only the Lord saves them from corrupting themselves the way this man has done.
#18

On July 24th, 2007 at 1:55 pm, Kevin from Ohio in Virginia said:

This sure seems to be a black and white issue to me. How can anyone see any gray here? Throw his ass in jail and casually let it slip what he did. Justice will prevail.
#19

On July 24th, 2007 at 9:29 pm, JWS said:

Death penalty. Period. Thank goodness we still import these negroes from out there. Our culture is SO enriched by their participation in the American dream. My God…
#20

On July 25th, 2007 at 11:52 am, Kevin from Ohio in Virginia said:

Let’s leave the word “negroes” out of the discussion. You are lumping an entire race in with this guy because he’s black. He’s a pig. A gutless beast. A sick, twisted pervert. But referring to him as another of “these negroes” is not only completely unjustified and inappropriate, but will take the focus of this a-hole and place it on rascist jerk-offs like you, JWS. While rascist jerk-offs like you do at some point deserve to be the focus of our incense, I’m more ticked off by child molesting vermin with get out of jail free cards right now.
#21

On July 26th, 2007 at 3:55 pm, teljax said:

my wife walked by and asked whats gary coleman done now? He does look a little like him