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Q:
Why is it my responsibility to provide a Court interpreter?
A: Under many state laws, the courts must provide interpreters,
but the law does not specify
a timeframe, which means cases could be continued for several
months if an
interpreter is not available.
Delays
could prove especially troubling in criminal
cases in which a defendant is in jail awaiting trial. There
are situations where
an individual attorney is more likely to move quickly and
get things wrapped up in
one way or another, because the person is being detained.
Q:
Why is it important to have an interpreter in a Courtroom?
A: The low profile of court interpreters, seated in
a corner chair until a courtroom clerk or officer
requests their help, belies their importance. Court interpreters
explain proceedings
to criminal defendants and their families, as well as to victims.
They
interpret the testimony of witnesses In both criminal and
civil cases. "The
very essence of due process is for the defendant to participate
in and understand what's
going on, and the interpreter is probably the single most
important person
in the courtroom.", said one Boston defense lawyer whose
clients are almost
exclusively non-English speakers.
3)
Q: What are the qualifications of Court Interpreters?
A: Court interpreting is a profession that demands
high levels of knowledge skills.
Many do not realize that being a bilingual speaker is not
sufficient to be considered
a professional court interpreter. In order to become a certified
court interpreter,
you have to:
- Demonstrate a highly educated, native fluency of both English
and a second language.
- Possess
college education.
- Perform
all three major types of court interpreting:
a) Sight interpreting (also known as sight translation)-oral
translation of documents: i.e., letters to judges, reports,
certificates, documents, etc.
b) Consecutive interpreting
c) Simultaneous interpreting
Deliver
interpretation in a manner faithful to (1) all canons of the Code of Professional conduct
for Interpreters & Translators and (2) all policies
regarding court interpreting promulgated by the Judiciary.
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