United States v. Martin Medina Tapia

GARZA, Circuit Judge:

We write for the first time on the application of the Court Interpreters Act of 1978, 28 U.S.C. § 1827, 1 when a criminal defendant speaks only or primarily a language other than the English language. We hope to give some guidance to the Courts below on how to comply with the statute.

Appellant, Martin Medina Tapia, was convicted by a jury of one count of conspiring with others, from on or about June 22, 1979, to on or about June 24, 1979, to move within the United States by means of a motor vehicle certain aliens, knowing that said aliens were in the United States in…