DALLAS -- A Texas woman was given a ticket for being a non-english speaking driver, but after she got a lawyer, she found out there was no such law for ordinary drivers -- only commercial truck drivers have to speak English.
Dallas police Chief David Kunkle said he was surprised and stunned when he learned his men had written such a ticket. Records show officers have written 38 similar tickets over the last three years.
Brenda Mondragon said it shook up her mother, Ernestina Mondragon.
"So, I basically told my mom that she had gotten a ticket for not speaking English, she was worried that now that everytime she drives and she gets pulled over that she will get another ticket for not speaking English. So I called the number on the back of the ticket to check on the fees and the guy who answered the phone, I don't recall his name, when he asked me for the offenses I told him all of them, and for the non-English speaking, he said he would have to check on that one, and he said, 'I'm not sure about that one' and put me on hold for a few minutes and came back and said you could get a ticket for being non-English speaking and it was going to be $204," Mondragon said.
Attorney Domingo Garcia said the improper tickets issued in Dallas may be just scratching the surface of the problem.
The Dallas police have promised to void the other 38 citations and issue refunds if fines have been paid.
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