Opinion ID: 783101
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Written Translations of Court Documents

Text: 13 Next, Gonzales claims that the district court plainly erred by not providing written translations of the documents involved in his legal proceedings. Again, because the issue was not raised below, we review for plain error. Thompson, 289 F.3d at 526. 14 Gonzales relies on the district court case of United States v. Mosquera, 816 F.Supp. 168 (E.D.N.Y.1993), to support his assertion that the court was required to provide him with translated copies of documents. However, we do not read Mosquera that broadly. Mosquera does not stand for the proposition that criminal defendants enjoy a constitutional right to written translations of court documents. Rather, a court may decide to provide written translations in difficult and complicated cases. See, e.g., Mosquera, 816 F.Supp. at 170 (providing written translations of court documents in a complex narcotics and money laundering prosecution with eighteen defendants, each of whom was represented by different counsel). Moreover, Sanders v. United States, 130 F.Supp.2d 447, 449 (S.D.N.Y.2001), subsequently declared that [t]he Constitution does not require that [] information be communicated in writing in a foreign language. Lastly, the Act itself makes no mention of a requirement to provide written translations of documents; it is concerned with ensuring that defendants be provided with accurate translations, whether written or oral. This decision can properly be made on a case-by-case basis. Thus, Gonzales has not demonstrated that the district court plainly erred when it failed to provide him with written copies of various court documents.