Because his counsel met with him only 15 minutes before trial and didn’t recognize the need for a Spanish-English translator, the Pennsylvania Superior Court has affirmed the overturning of the conviction of an alleged child rapist and granted him a new trial.
A split three-judge panel held that defendant Miguel Diaz’s case was prejudiced by ineffective counsel and the lack of a Spanish-English translator during his criminal trial. Judges Alice Beck Dubow and Kate Ford Elliott made up the majority and Judge Mary Jane Bowes dissented.
