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<div>This article is from today's Trinidad Express and can be accessed
directly with this (ugly) URL - take care that you get the whole thing
from http:... to =news.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news.asp?mylink=2003-07-09\news\Mute%<span
></span
>20pleads%20guilty%20to%20murder%20by%20mistake.htm&mydate=2003-0<span
></span>7-09&mypage=news</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>I'm ignoring the old-fashioned use of the term "mute",
and focusing instead on the multicultural situation portrayed just
from the family names here! </div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Does anyone know the sign language situation in Trinidad &
Tobago? I find it hard to believe that they use ASL. I've
also posted a similar inquiry at CIT-L.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<blockquote type="cite" cite align="center"><font size="+2"><b>Mute
pleads guilty to murder by mistake</b></font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite align="center"><br>
<br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">CONFUSION
between two different types of sign language yesterday led to a mute
man pleading guilty to murder.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Were it not
for the quick intervention of defence attorney Ulric Skerritt, who
brought the misunderstanding to Justice Melville Bairds attention,
Bharath Mansingh could have been sentenced to death.<br>
<br>
The judge revoked the plea and remanded Mansingh to reappear today to
allow the State an opportunity to get a sign language interpreter who
could properly communicate with Mansingh.<br>
<br>
Mansingh, 26, was before Justice Melville Baird in the Port of Spain
First Criminal Court, charged with murdering his brother, Mukesh
Mansingh, on November 27, 1999, at St Johns Road, St
Augustine.</font><br>
</blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">Sign
language interpreter Anne Chee Ying was brought to court to translate
the proceedings for Mansinghs benefit and when Mansingh was arraigned,
Chee Ying informed the court that he had pleaded guilty.<br>
<br>
Skerritt then informed the judge that Mansingh might have had
difficulty understanding Chee Ying.<br>
<br>
He said another interpreter, who had been retained by the defence and
who was present in court, had told him (Skerritt) that Chee Ying had
been communicating in a type of language called Signed English, while
Mansingh only understood American Sign Language (ASL).<br>
<br>
Chee Ying agreed that if Mansingh only understood ASL, he would not
have been able to understand Signed English.<br>
<br>
Justice Baird then revoked the guilty plea and ordered that another
interpreter be retained.<br>
<br>
Mansingh is also being represented by Israel Khan SC and Nadia
Ashraph.</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial"
size="-1"><br></font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><font face="Arial" size="-1">State
attorney Althea Alexis is prosecuting</font></blockquote>
<blockquote type="cite" cite><br></blockquote>
<div><br></div>
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<div>Nancy Frishberg +1 650.556.1948
nancyf@fishbird.com</div>
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