Hernandez v. New York

During jury selection in Hernandez's (plaintiff) attempted murder and weapons trial, the prosecutor used peremptory strikes to remove several Spanish-speaking Latino jurors after they responded only that they would "try" to accept an interpreter's translation of Spanish-speaking witnesses' testimony, rather than affirming they would simply follow it; the prosecutor explained he worried these jurors' independent understanding of the Spanish testimony might improperly influence how they, and other jurors, evaluated the interpreted version. Hernandez's attorney objected that the strikes disproportionately impacted Latino jurors, in violation of the Equal Protection Clause.