People v. Miralda

Opinion by

Judge CRISWELL.

Defendant, Aníbal Miralda, appeals the judgment entered upon a jury verdict finding him guilty of one count of forgery and one count of possession of a forged instrument. We reverse. At the time of his arrest, defendant was a passenger in a truck which had been pulled over for speeding. While defendant waited in the passenger seat, a police officer approached the driver and asked, in English, for his driver’s license, proof of registration, and vehicle insurance. Because the driver responded in Spanish and broken English, the officer repeated his request in both…