Commonwealth v. Lara

Repeated references in the testimony of the government’s principal witness to “Spanish We Deliver” and “Dominicans” gratuitously highlighted the defendant Lara’s ethnic background. They tainted the presentation to the jury of the Commonwealth’s charges against Lara of trafficking in twenty-eight grams or more of cocaine (G. L. c. 94C, § 32E[b][2]) and unlawful distribution of cocaine (G. L. c. 94C, § 32A[c]). Lara is, therefore, entitled to a new trial. We affirm, however, the denial of a motion to suppress drugs *547found in a search, made after Lara’s arrest, of the car he was driving when…