NO ENTIENDO: STATE V. MARQUEZ, LANGUAGE BARRIERS, AND DRUNK DRIVING

State v. Marquez, the New Jersey Supreme Court had to decide the question of what police officers must do when trying to communicate with a drunk driving suspect who does not speak English or any other common language. Although suspected drunk drivers are obliged by law to submit to a breath test, police officers cannot issue a citation for refusal unless they “inform” the suspect of the associated penalties. Thus, when suspects do not speak English, police officers are faced with a difficult problem: what does it mean to “inform” the suspect? View More