Well is seems that the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has been instructed to “consider” translating into Spanish a statement given to all drunken-driving suspects. That’s the recommendation of an appeals court that upheld a Hispanic man’s conviction for refusing to take a breath test. The court said state law does not require translation.

However, the judges said the MVC should consider having the statement translated into Spanish and “perhaps other prevalent foreign languages.” The court said recordings could be played for suspects who need translation. Police read German Marquez the 11-paragraph statement explaining the test after he was arrested following an accident in Plainfield in 2007. Marquez responded in Spanish that he didn’t understand.

We’re confident that consideration is taking place.