Posted on 08/13/2013 1:02:09 PM PDT by grundle
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Supreme Court is cautioning trial courts and lawyers that citizens who don’t speak English have the right to serve on juries.
The court issued the admonition in a ruling that upholds an Albuquerque man’s convictions for murder and other crimes in the bludgeoning death of his girlfriend and a subsequent armed robbery and stabbing.
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegas.cbslocal.com ...
Oh Moses smell the roses!
This has to be one of the most stupid decisions ever made. Period.
Funny, when my Parents became citizens I thought along with other requirements, they had to be able to read, write and speak English. It’s no wonder we are no longer a melting pot, we are now the un congealed masses.
How do you pass a citizenship test, if you don’t speak English?
Another one of those jury nullification things. If they can’t speak English, there is probably a reason why. Like having been in the United States “only a very short distance” and probably being here illegally. That is NOT a jury of any American’s peers. The bozos on this “court” act like they might be on drugs.
The ‘melting pot’ ceased to be about 35 years ago. Now we are a tossed salad...................
The whole court system in this country consist of the same sort of Judges Hitler’s Nazi regime had.
They are ruled by the Central (Obama) Government.
What about people with Alzheimers disease? They have as much right to serve on a jury as non English speakers. They would not know what is going on inside the courtroom just like people who do not understand English.
The brief article states that New Mexico lawyers have to state their objections to a non-English speaking potential juror during jury selection, not after the case has been adjudicated. The NM Supreme Court also warned judges to ‘protect the rights of non-English speaking potential jurors’. They didn’t mention protecting the rights of defendants who are having their fate decided by someone who doesn’t understand English. The ruling is absurd.
So! Will we be having multi-lingual trials with all the extra costs and confusion now?
It’ll be like the UN
There will be challenges based on bad translations
Trials could take forever.
Article VII - Elective Franchise, Section 3 (Religious and racial equality protected: restrictions on amendments):
“The right of any citizen of the state to vote, hold office or sit upon juries, shall never be restricted, abridged or impaired on account of religion, race, language or color, or inability to speak read or write the English or Spanish languages except as may be otherwise provided in this constitution.”
I sat upon a jury where a prospective juror was questioned in Spanish with a translator provided by the court. That person was not selected as it have required a translator present during deliberations - doable but a distraction to say the least.
On the other hand, I would have had BIG problems with the decision if the story had read:
NM Court Rules Non-English Speaking NON-Citizens Can Serve On Juries
IIRC, New Mexico’s constitution declares it to be a bi-lingual (English and Spanish) state.
Gee, did this guy think this is acceptable behavior in ANY FREAKING COUNTRY ON EARTH?
Try that crap out in Saudi Arabia.
"Gosh, I didn't know murder and armed robbery are illegal.
It's not fair that I didn't get a translator to tell me that."
How did they become citizens while not able to speak any English? Hmmm? Why is this allowed.
I’m not expecting Strunk’s Guide to Style quality English, but a working knowledge of the language.
p.s. I have BIG problems with the fact that NM allows Non-English speaking NON-citizens to receive driver's licenses and the state legislature has rejected all attempts to repeal the Richardson-era law.
If I were a defense lawyer in New Mexico I’d make sure to put a bunch of Tibetans and Bosnians and Fijians on the jury, and then kick my client’s trial into endless delay as the State scurries about looking for all those translators.
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