Jose Medrano Garcia, Appellant v. the State of Texas

Summary

The Court held that Garcia's conviction violated the Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause because he was tried without a competent interpreter despite the trial judge's awareness of his language deficiency and without a knowing and intelligent waiver. The Court reversed the Court of Appeals and remanded for a determination of harmless error. Justice Keller, concurring, agreed with the majority and emphasized the interpreter right as a non‑waivable category‑two right.