Somali gang case witness has partial win on appeal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A federal appeals court has partially overturned the conviction of a witness who refused to testify in a sex trafficking case involving Somali gang members.
While the defendants who went to trial were either acquitted or had their convictions thrown out, Abudullahi Farah was sentenced to four months and then fifteen months for his refusal to testify. He said he refused out of fear for his safety and that of his family.
On appeal, Farah argued that the second sentence violated his right to be free from double jeopardy. On Thursday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in Cincinnati, agreed in part. The court overturned a conviction for refusing to testify. However, the court upheld a conviction for interference with the enforcement of child sex trafficking laws.
