Opinion ID: 430498
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Accuracy of the Translation

Text: 10 Da Silva argues that Stewart translated incorrectly and that Da Silva's inability to communicate in Spanish undermines the accuracy of any translation from the Spanish. The evidence contradicts both premises. 11 The district court found that Da Silva was able to communicate effectively in Spanish, a finding we may disregard only on a showing of clear error. See, e.g., United States v. Mangan, 575 F.2d 32, 48 (2d Cir.) (factual finding of nongovernmental search), cert. denied, 439 U.S. 931, 99 S.Ct. 320, 58 L.Ed.2d 324 (1978); United States v. Wiener, 534 F.2d 15, 17 (2d Cir.) (factual finding of consent to search), cert. denied, 429 U.S. 820, 97 S.Ct. 66, 50 L.Ed.2d 80 (1976). The trial court's finding has ample support in the evidence. Not only did both Stewart and Cruz testify to Da Silva's understanding of Spanish, after having conducted effective dialogues with him, but Da Silva himself initiated his conversation with Stewart by inquiring whether or not Stewart spoke Spanish; he expressed no interest in Stewart's ability to speak Portuguese. And when Stewart said he spoke Spanish, Da Silva said Thank God in Spanish--not in Portuguese. Given the testimony by witnesses skilled in Spanish who had conversed with Da Silva, and given Da Silva's clear satisfaction at the time of the interviews to have them conducted in Spanish, the trial judge was entirely justified in finding that Da Silva's mastery of Spanish was sufficient. Evidence introduced by Da Silva that a person fluent only in Portuguese would have difficulty understanding conversation in Spanish is hardly material, since the evidence established that Da Silva spoke and understood both Portuguese and Spanish. 12 The evidence also strongly supports the accuracy of Stewart's translation in the present case. Stewart grew up in Panama and has native fluency in the Spanish language. Da Silva would likely have expressed confusion or distress if Stewart's Spanish had deviated materially from the patterns with which Da Silva was familiar. There is no indication whatever that he did so. Further, the only concrete error adduced by Da Silva is Stewart's mistranslation of the word for businessman as handyman. There is no suggestion that this error, or any other like it, could have resulted in a misunderstanding of the basic exculpatory explanation Da Silva offered for his possession of cocaine. Finally, the testimony of Agent Cruz confirmed the substantial accuracy of Stewart's translation. Cruz had interrogated Da Silva without an interpreter and his testimony as to Da Silva's answers was the same as Tripicchio's testimony as to Stewart's translation of those answers.