Language Barrier May Cause Trial for Hit-and-Run to Start Over

A trial of a man charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle may have to start all over due to language barriers, reported Today's TMJ4.

Edgar Montano is accused of killing a 48-year-old Waukesha mother and another woman’s unborn child in a car crash last summer.

The Waukesha woman, Jean Feagles, was struck while pushing her car along Highway 164/59.  A passenger in Montano’s car suffered a miscarriage after the accident, leading to the second homicide charge.

Montano's defense attorney says his client, who speaks English and Spanish, needs help understanding what is going on in the trial, reported TMJ4. Bradley Bloch, the attorney, said his client should have had an interpreter since the beginning. A jury trial was originally scheduled for April 30, but hearings in March and then Monday brought the language situation to light.

A preliminary hearing is slated for next Monday.