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Monday, September 25, 2006

Courts - Roving interpreters fill void in federal courts

The Louisville Courier Journal has a report today by Jay Reeves of the AP on the shortage of translators in some federal districts. Some quotes:

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Federal court interpreter Teresa Thorpe spoke Spanish softly into a microphone as one Hispanic defendant after another stepped forward, each equipped with wireless receivers and earpieces.

The scene was typical of U.S. courts that are struggling to bridge the language barrier between an English-speaking legal system and an influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants. What was unusual was Thorpe's commute to work: She was flown to Birmingham from Kentucky because of a shortage of qualified interpreters in the Southeast.

Alabama is among 20 states with two or fewer people who are legally certified to act as interpreters in federal courts, where language specialists are required to have more training and testing than in state courts. When certified interpreters aren't available, officials try to fill the gaps with telephone interpretation and, sometimes, less-qualified interpreters.

But often, experts like Thorpe are hired to shuttle between states and court districts to both provide oral interpretation and translate documents during court proceedings that, despite the long commute, sometimes take no more than a few minutes. They're paid $355 a day, plus airfare and other expenses.

Laura Garcia-Hein, a certified interpreter from Louisville, frequently travels to Alabama to interpret for Spanish-speaking people charged with crimes. She also has been to Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, North Carolina and Tennessee to work.

"There are many of us who do a lot of traveling," Garcia-Hein said. "You have people going from Louisiana to Montana to interpret for a trial."

While some judicial districts have staff interpreters, the federal system spent about $9.8 million last year to hire interpreters on a contract basis, according to information from the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 25, 2006 06:23 AM
Posted to Courts in general