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New Mexico Court Rules Non-English Speaking Citizens Can Serve On Juries
CBS Las Vegas/Associated Press ^ | August 13, 2013

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 ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; US: New Mexico
KEYWORDS: aliens
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1 posted on 08/13/2013 1:02:09 PM PDT by grundle
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To: grundle

Oh Moses smell the roses!


2 posted on 08/13/2013 1:03:50 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: grundle

This has to be one of the most stupid decisions ever made. Period.


3 posted on 08/13/2013 1:05:33 PM PDT by ataDude (Its like 1933, mixed with the Carter 70s, plus the books 1984 and Animal Farm, all at the same time.)
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To: grundle

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.


4 posted on 08/13/2013 1:05:57 PM PDT by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: Mastador1

How do you pass a citizenship test, if you don’t speak English?


5 posted on 08/13/2013 1:07:46 PM PDT by andrew1957
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To: grundle

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.


6 posted on 08/13/2013 1:08:00 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Senator Foghorn says, You should never resist being raped, robbed, beat down or murdered.)
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To: Mastador1

The ‘melting pot’ ceased to be about 35 years ago. Now we are a tossed salad...................


7 posted on 08/13/2013 1:08:47 PM PDT by Red Badger (Want to be surprised? Google your own name......Want to have fun? Google your friend's names........)
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To: grundle
This should throw deliberations into chaos.  It's tough enough dealing with people who do speak the same language.  Of course that's the intent to begin with.

Good luck convicting anyone with a Spanish surname in the future.


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08/13/2013: LINK  LINK to regular sized version of Ramirez's latest, and an archive of his political cartoons.





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...this is a general all purpose message, and should not be seen as targeting any individual I am responding to...

8 posted on 08/13/2013 1:09:31 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (This post coming to you today, from behind the Camelskin Curtain. Not the Iron or Bamboo Curtain...)
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To: grundle

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.


9 posted on 08/13/2013 1:12:33 PM PDT by Venturer ( cowardice posturing as tolerance =political correctness)
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To: grundle

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.


10 posted on 08/13/2013 1:13:59 PM PDT by forgotten man
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To: grundle

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.


11 posted on 08/13/2013 1:14:24 PM PDT by Jim Scott
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To: grundle

So! Will we be having multi-lingual trials with all the extra costs and confusion now?


12 posted on 08/13/2013 1:14:31 PM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Implementing class warfare by having no class.)
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To: reg45

It’ll be like the UN

There will be challenges based on bad translations

Trials could take forever.


13 posted on 08/13/2013 1:15:12 PM PDT by GeronL
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To: grundle
The trial court and defense should have been aware of this provision from the New Mexican constitution adopted January 21, 1911:

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

14 posted on 08/13/2013 1:17:26 PM PDT by CedarDave (Trayvon Martin history: The MS media is in love with burglars and thugs in training.)
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To: grundle

15 posted on 08/13/2013 1:18:11 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both.)
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To: GeronL

IIRC, New Mexico’s constitution declares it to be a bi-lingual (English and Spanish) state.


16 posted on 08/13/2013 1:19:24 PM PDT by reg45 (Barack 0bama: Implementing class warfare by having no class.)
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To: GeronL
"murder and other crimes in the bludgeoning death of his girlfriend and a subsequent armed robbery and stabbing."

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."

17 posted on 08/13/2013 1:21:05 PM PDT by boop ("You don't look so bad, here's another")
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To: grundle

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.


18 posted on 08/13/2013 1:21:13 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: CedarDave
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"

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.

19 posted on 08/13/2013 1:22:44 PM PDT by CedarDave (Trayvon Martin history: The MS media is in love with burglars and thugs in training.)
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To: grundle

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.


20 posted on 08/13/2013 1:26:00 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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