DWI laws hit language barrier

News and Observer ^ | November 13, 2003 | AISLING SWIFT

[justshutupandtakeit]

Sickening but typical.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Or, we could deny driver's licences to those who can't pass the test in English.

[IYAS9YAS]

"Did not understand English."

So, ignorance of the language allowable in the ignorance of the law? What a flipping joke. Do you think Mexico would return the favor if they caught an American, who didn't speak Spanish, driving drunk?

[BeAllYouCanBe]

" Prosecutors are relying on a strict interpretation of the law, arguing that police have complied if they read drivers their rights in English. "

There is no other arguement that is needed -- but there are liberals who would moan about 155 languages spoken by every officer -- just not enough.

[mykdsmom]

Or, we could deny driver's licences to those who can't pass the test in English.

Afraid it's too late for that, there are tens of thousands of them already out there.

Plus they've shown they are willing to break the law by coming here illegally, why not drive w/o a license too?

MKM

[jern]

good read.

[Mears]

How did he get his license?

Is there a written test?If there is do they have it in many languages?

Is there a road test? How would he understand the instrictions of the person giving the road test?

[Mears]

Oops, meant to say "instructions"

[RussianConservative]

"I was scared," Pineda said through an interpreter in an interview last week. "I was trying to do what he wanted, but I didn't understand."

Who make mistake? When I live in Germany, I work hard to learn German...so I not become some stupid foreigner. This silly...besides, why not have picture book to explain to illiterate idiots how it work? Besides, ignorance of language not excuse for breaking law, especially law of common sense.

[blanknoone]

The only way to remedy the problem, he said, is to close the language gap, which the patrol is trying to accomplish with intensive Spanish classes and recruiting of bilingual troopers. I can think of at least one other way: English as the national language. Even the 'remedy' he suggests is not a remedy. Are you going to have quinitilingual troopers? What about Chinese immigrants? Brazilians? Russians? Kazahks? Vietnamese? Our officials can't speak every language on the planet...but we can mandate they speak ours here.

[brownsfan]

When are we going to figure out that part of what built this country, part of what made us great is that we had a common language?
I served in the Navy. We had Filipinos in the U.S. Navy. They are good people. But, at meals they would sit together and speak Tagalic. Human nature, being what it is, we didn't trust them. They could sit next to you and call you names, and you'd never know.
And this article, a practical example of why we need to adhere to a common language. Speak English, or go elsewhere!

[wi jd]

Too bad for the prosecutors but even non English speaking citizens are protected by the 4th Amendment prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure.

The Police cannot jump to the PBT, they must first establish probable cause through the Field Sobriety Tests. If the driver cannot understand English, then how can he follow the instructions for the officer to say the driver failed the FST?

Perhaps we should make it a crime for a person not to speak English. Then we wouldn't have to worry about the silly Constitutional protections.

Flame suit on.

[texastoo]

Just how do these creeps get the booze? With pesos?

The first thing these illegal foreigners learn is the English word dollar. The illegals know exactly what they are doing. The judges must be racist. Whites or blacks can't get away with this.

Where is the old saying that "ignorance is no excuse regarding the law'?

[Apogee]

How about a digitally recorded rights in a bunch of languages, or at least three or four (with a test of some appropriate phrase to see what language they respond to?). Course that would be more purchases. How about a bilingual dispatcher, instead of every officer, just one available on call to read them there rights. Or put the tape recorder at the station, one tape recorder, no salary.
Do wonder how they passed the test.

[mykdsmom]

So what solution to this would you offer?

MKM

[HiJinx]

Do you think Mexico would return the favor if they caught an American, who didn't speak Spanish, driving drunk?

Don't know about Mexico, but I can vouch for the system in Germany. Ignorance of the language is no excuse under the law.

[Verginius Rufus]

Haso and Mujo are cops in a sleepy little Bosnian town. A German tourist comes along and wants to find out the right road to take to get to the coast. First he tries German, and they just shrug their shoulders, not being able to understand him. Then he tries French, Italian, and English, with the same results, and finally drives away in frustration. Haso turns to Mujo and says, "Maybe we ought to study some foreign languages for situations like that." Mujo replies, "Why should we? Look at that guy. He speaks four languages and it didn't do him a bit of good."

[RippleFire]

bump

[blackdog]

No assets, no insurance, no resources for bail, no equity in a home, no means to pay legal costs. This is not the type of criminal that our system will accept.

I would say a whole lot of Chapel Hill residents have an equal protection argument if their Spanish is good.