Court Opinion

ID: 9646371
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 12:58:02.965807+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:11:37.706683
License: Public Domain

MANDERINO, Justice,
dissenting.
I dissent. Commonwealth v. Pana, 469 Pa. 43, 49, 364 A.2d 895, 898 (1976), held that the use of an interpreter is necessary during a criminal trial when it becomes evident that a witness may be unable to understand or respond to questions put to him in the English language. In so holding, we recognized that the existence of some ability to communicate in English is not dispositive because the witness may become confused due to the tenseness and unfamiliarity of the circumstances, even though he has some familiarity with English. Id. 469 Pa. at 50, 364 A.2d at 899. .
*35The reasoning of Pana is equally applicable to a situation where an accused, unfamiliar with the English language, is confronted by interrogating police officers who attempt to communicate to him in English. As the uncontradicted evidence at the suppression hearing indicates, Spanish was appellant’s native language, and that while he had been in the United States for approximately eight to nine years, only during the last two or three years had he attempted to learn the English language. Appellant’s unfamiliarity with the English language is further demonstrated by the fact that the interrogating officer, as pointed out by the majority, felt it necessary to read appellant’s Miranda rights to him “numerous times” and “slowly.” The record also reveals that upon appellant’s return to Pennsylvania, the prosecution provided interpreters to assist him at the preliminary hearing, at the suppression hearing, and at trial.
In my view, the prosecution has failed to meet its burden of establishing that appellant’s purported waiver of Miranda rights was knowing, voluntary, and intelligent. I therefore dissent.