{"id":17218,"date":"2012-01-15T07:47:41","date_gmt":"2012-01-15T12:47:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/?p=17218"},"modified":"2012-01-15T07:59:22","modified_gmt":"2012-01-15T12:59:22","slug":"court-interpreters-translate-into-high-cost-for-lubbock-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deafnetwork.com\/wordpress\/blog\/2012\/01\/15\/court-interpreters-translate-into-high-cost-for-lubbock-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Court interpreters translate into high cost for Lubbock County"},"content":{"rendered":"

Court interpreters translate into high cost for Lubbock County<\/strong><\/p>\n

Scant qualified court interpreters and increased demand has translated into
\nhigher costs for Lubbock County.<\/p>\n

January 14, 2012<\/p>\n

By BY LOGAN G. CARVER
\nAVALANCHE-JOURNAL<\/p>\n

Scant qualified court interpreters and increased demand has translated into
\nhigher costs for Lubbock County.<\/p>\n

In a recent felony trial involving a deaf defendant and several deaf
\nwitnesses, four interpreters had to be flown in from Austin for the six-day
\ntrial.<\/p>\n

While interpreters for criminal and civil trials have been statutorily
\nrequired for years, a 2010 U.S. Department of Justice letter recommends
\ninterpreters be provided for all court proceedings, as well as anything
\nrelating to those proceedings.<\/p>\n

Couple this with a lack of licensed and certified interpreters in the area,
\nand Lubbock County has seen interpreter costs nearly triple in the last
\nyear.<\/p>\n

\u201cActually it\u2019s become a huge issue because it not only involves deaf
\ninterpreters, it also involves any sort of language interpreter as well,\u201d
\nsaid David Slayton, director of Court Administration in Lubbock County.<\/p>\n

It takes more than just the ability to interpret between two languages to
\nwork in a courtroom, as state law requires certification of all court
\ninterpreters.<\/p>\n

Spoken-language interpreters are certified through the Texas Department of
\nLicensing and Regulation and American Sign Language interpreters are
\ncertified through Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
\nOffice for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services or through the National
\nRegistry of Interpreters for the Deaf.<\/p>\n

Certification for language and ASL requires extensive coursework and
\nexaminations.<\/p>\n

Language interpreters take a two-hour, 135-question multiple choice exam and
\na three-part oral exam.<\/p>\n

The written exam covers general language proficiency, court-related terms
\nand ethics and professional conduct.<\/p>\n

The oral examination comprises sight interpretation, simultaneous
\ninterpretation and consecutive interpretation.<\/p>\n

For ASL certification, an applicant must complete hundreds of hours of
\ninterpreter training and court-specific training.<\/p>\n

The court training includes: 16 hours on criminal law process, 16 hours on
\ncivil law process, eight hours on legal terminology and eight hours on
\nethical practices for court interpreters.<\/p>\n

Applicants must then pass a written test.<\/p>\n

The recent trial of Rene Espinoza demonstrated the challenges that come with
\nproviding the necessary number of interpreters.<\/p>\n

The trial lasted significantly longer than would a similar trial without the
\nneed for multiple interpreters.<\/p>\n

In the Espinoza trial, the defendant and several witnesses were either deaf
\nor hard of hearing and required ASL interpreters.<\/p>\n

Slayton said the number of people who needed interpreters made the Espinoza
\ncase unusual.<\/p>\n

One interpreter had to interpret for the court, but because the defendant
\nwas also hearing impaired there had to be one at the counsel table so his
\nattorney could communicate with him.<\/p>\n

ASL interpreters almost always work in teams, switching off at 20- to
\n30-minute intervals during a seven- to eight-hour court day.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo for every one position that we need, we have to have two to cover that
\nperiod of time,\u201d Slayton said.<\/p>\n

If an interpreter works alone, he or she likely would need a break at least
\nevery 90 minutes, said Randi Turner with the Office of Deaf and Hard of
\nHearing Services.<\/p>\n

The 20-30 minute stints are more common and more accurate, Turner said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe longer we interpret, the less competency that we would have,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

They work in teams because court interpreting is particularly taxing because
\nof legal jargon and the rapid-fire questioning from attorneys.<\/p>\n

Turner said it isn\u2019t safe for a court interpreter to work without a partner,
\nbecause so much rides on the interpreter\u2019s ability to accurately convey the
\nconcepts of what is said.<\/p>\n

Connie Sefcik-Kennedy, also with the Office of Deaf and Hard of Hearing
\nServices, said the team member who isn\u2019t actively interpreting is watching
\nbody language and non-manual markers of the deaf client.<\/p>\n

Facial expressions, nods and body language are nuances a single interpreter
\ncould potentially miss.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need that interpreter to back up and catch those types of
\nnon-manuals,\u201d Sefcik-Kennedy said. \u201cThat\u2019s why team interpreting is really
\nimportant \u2014 because it\u2019s challenging.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are only 141 certified court interpreters in Texas, so it is not
\nuncommon for smaller communities to have to bring ASL interpreters in from
\nlarger metropolitan areas.<\/p>\n

The interpreters for the Espinoza case were brought in from Austin because
\nthere were no available certified interpreters in the Lubbock area, Slayton
\nsaid.<\/p>\n

He said the ones who are certified are school teachers with the Lubbock
\nIndependent School District.<\/p>\n

During the summer, the courts can usually find local ASL interpreters, but
\nrarely use local interpreters during the school year, he said.<\/p>\n

Slayton said it\u2019s a huge issue whenever it comes up, but it is required.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also very expensive when we have to do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Language interpreters also have to be brought in from other areas.<\/p>\n

There is only one Spanish-language licensed court interpreter in Lubbock
\nCounty, according to online data from the Texas Department of Licensing and
\nRegulation.<\/p>\n

There are four, collectively, in Amarillo\u2019s Randall and Potter counties, but
\nnone in Crosby, Dawson, Floyd, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Lamb, Lynn or Terry.<\/p>\n

Compared to 24 in Tarrant, 33 in Bexar, 32 in Travis \u2014 and even three in
\nMcClennan \u2014 Lubbock County courts have to cast a much wider net to find a
\nSpanish interpreter.<\/p>\n

And find one they must.<\/p>\n

State law requires an interpreter be provided in criminal and civil court
\nproceedings, but only requires that the county foot the bill in criminal
\nproceedings, Slayton said.<\/p>\n

There is no state law provision requiring counties to pay for any other
\nproceeding, but the U.S. Department of Justice has a different view.<\/p>\n

As part of the Access to Justice initiative, the DOJ in 2010 issued a letter
\nrequiring interpreters be provided in all court proceedings, at the
\ncounty\u2019s expense, in courts receiving federal funds.<\/p>\n

The directive states requiring a party to pay for interpreters either
\nsubjects some individuals to a surcharge based on a party\u2019s or witness\u2019s
\nEnglish language proficiency or discourages parties from requesting or using
\na competent interpreter.<\/p>\n

Any court receiving federal funds needs to provide interpretation free of
\ncost, according to the DOJ.<\/p>\n

Interpretation must also be provided for court-managed offices and programs,
\nsuch as information counters, records rooms, filing offices, alternative
\ndispute resolution programs and probation and parole offices.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou talk about a significant change in our costs,\u201d Slayton said. \u201cIt is and
\ncontinues to increase our cost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lubbock County spent nearly $63,000 in 2011 \u2014 more than three times what the
\ncounty paid for court interpreters in 2010 \u2014 and is on track to surpass last
\nyear.<\/p>\n

Since the beginning of the 2012 fiscal year, Oct. 1, Lubbock County has
\nspent roughly $23,000 on interpreters.<\/p>\n

To comment on this story:<\/p>\n

logan.carver@lubbockonline.com
\n\u2022 766-8704<\/p>\n

leesha.faulkner@lubbockonline.com
\n\u2022 766-8706<\/p>\n

Interpretation costs (Fiscal Year Oct. 1 – Sept. 30)<\/p>\n

2008 $12,116
\n2009 $11,197.33
\n2010 $19,780.44
\n2011 $62,628.96
\n2012 to date 22,979.39<\/p>\n

Source:<\/p>\n

http:\/\/lubbockonline.com\/crime-and-courts\/2012-01-14\/court-interpreters-translate-high-cost-lubbock-county#.TxLJb6VSRak<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Court interpreters translate into high cost for Lubbock County Scant qualified court interpreters and increased demand has translated into higher costs for Lubbock County. January 14, 2012 By BY LOGAN G. CARVER AVALANCHE-JOURNAL Scant qualified court interpreters and increased demand…<\/p>\n

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