In rural Humboldt County, Calif., a shortage of court-certified interpreters is slowing justice and costing the courts. Thadeus Greenson of The Times-Standard reports that the county courts are having to look abroad to find interpreters. Interpreting for the court differs from translating because interpreters must speak the translations and be very accurate on the spot. In Humboldt County, the court system spent about $92,000 of its $6.8 million budget last year on interpreter expenses, and that doesn't include costs like wasted staff time and empty courtrooms when an interpreter can't show up, or other complications cause a hearing to be canceled.
The expenses, however, are a small price to pay to ensure everyone gets their constitutional right to a fair trial, Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos told Greenson. "What we want to do is make sure anyone who comes through our legal system is given fundamental rights, and that is to know what they are accused of, to know their rights as an accused person and to have an opportunity to meaningfully and effectively challenge the state's evidence."
Spanish-speaking court-certified interpreters are in greatest demand, but the courts also need more exotic language-speakers from time to time. About 8 about of Humboldt County residents speak a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census. Interpreting for the courts is not an easy job to get. To become court certified, a potential interpreter must pass both a written and an oral exam in the language. Of the hundreds who take the tests annually, about 2 percent pass both. (Read more)
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