P. v. Martinez
Defendants appeal from judgments entered after a jury convicted each of them of one count of first degree felony murder and two counts of attempted robbery. Sandoval contends, among other things, the trial court committed reversible error by violating his right to have his own defense interpreter throughout the proceedings against him. Martinez joined this claim and also asserted the trial court erred in sentencing him.
Court find the trial court erred when it forced the three defendants to share one defense interpreter during trial without a valid waiver of their rights to individual interpreters. During the time the defense interpreter was borrowed to act as the witness interpreter, court cannot conclude the courts error was harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. Accordingly, court reverse the judgments.
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