Description

Appetizers and a cash bar will be provided. Advanced registration is requested by October 6th. 

*Immediately following the reception, you’re invited to view the oral arguments among the Iowa Supreme Court Justices at Central High School, 1120 Main St., Davenport IA

The case being heard by the Court on October 12, 2017:
State of Iowa v. Carlos Ariel Gomez Garcia, case no. 15-1543, from Scott County District Court

Defendant Carlos Garcia is able to read and understand the English language and sought to waive the assistance of court interpreters at his trial on drug related charges. Defendant believed that the presence of interpreters would be distracting and confusing to him and could be unfairly prejudicial to him during a jury trial. The trial court ordered the interpreters to remain present on a standby basis throughout the trial, whereupon defendant waived his right to a jury trial, and the trial court ultimately found him guilty on the drug charges. The Iowa Court of Appeals determined that the trial court erred in refusing to accept Garcia's knowing and voluntary waiver of interpreter services and reversed his convictions and ordered a new trial. The State argues on further review before the Iowa Supreme Court that improperly denying a waiver of interpreter services does no fundamentally affect the fairness of the proceedings and does not warrant automatic reversal of a criminal conviction.