Feds, States In Dispute Over Court Interpreters
Fair Courts E-lert
Bibliographic Info:
Author: Dave Collins
Source: Associated Press
Date: July 17, 2011
Speaking to the Associated Press about the difficult position in which many courts find themselves as budgets cuts preclude any expansion of interpreter programs, Laura Abel of the Brennan Center noted that nonetheless “t's really chilling when you see courts which are charged with enforcing civil rights statutes trying to find loopholes to get out of their obligations.” A 2009 Brennan Center study of 35 states found that 80 percent did not guarantee free interpreter services. To highlight the crucial role played by court interpreters the AP article describes the courtroom experience of a Malaysian native, who understood little of what was happening in the courtroom. According to the AP, at the end of the trial the defendant believed she was being taken home; instead, she was being taken to jail.