Court Opinion

ID: 9647105
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 13:23:31.90785+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:45.454814
License: Public Domain

MEYERS, Judge,
concurring on Appellant’s Petition for Discretionary Review.
I agree with the Court that discrimination on the basis of a person’s inability to speak English does not raise a presumption of discrimination on the basis of race or national origin. However, had the record in this case reflected that appellant’s inability to speak English was actually a pretext for racial discrimination, I would not hesitate to reverse his conviction. For example, were it to appear that this judge commonly denied probation to similarly situated Hispanic persons who were able to speak the English language, the inference might be compelling that he was actually motivated by racial animus. As it is, however, we have no reason to suspect, as an empirical matter, that he did *132not in fact deny probation for the reason actually given. Accordingly, appellant has not established a case of racial discrimination on this record. For this reason, I concur in the judgment.