Tips for court administrators

The ability to interpret a foreign language in court is not the same as being bilingual.  Many untested bilingual people try to get work as interpreters without any training and without knowing the rules of court procedure.   This can be detrimental to trying a successful case.

 

 

HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE AND SELECT QUALIFIED INTERPRETERS

 

Interview and qualify the interpreters first before you schedule them.  If you take the time to set up your criteria once, and make a list of who meets the criteria, you'll always be ready with professional interpreters at hand.  If you rely on an Interpretation/Translation agency to meet your requests, review how they qualify their staff.

 

Here’s what to look for:

 

Þ Obtain Texas Department of Licensing Licensed Court Interpreter Number

Þ Verify their status at http://www.license.state.tx.us/LicenseSearch .

Þ Focus on those with legal experience, specifically courtroom, training, membership in professional associations, and certifications.

Þ Verify their court references and ask about any confusion that occurred during testimony and their professional behavior such as being on time, being polite, and being flexible with cancellations.

Þ Note their work references because merely a degree in Spanish is not enough.

Þ Verify their fluency in English yourself by calling and speaking with them.

Þ Confirm  if they perform simultaneous or consecutive; see TIP under “Modes of Interpreting” on the Working With Interpreters page.

Þ Ask about their rates, payment terms, minimums and advance notice requirements.

 

Let us know what to expect from your specific court:

Have a pre-printed fact sheet ready for those interpreters that meet your qualifications.  Freelance interpreters need to know each of the following:

 

· The court’s terms for payment.

· Your policy on additional fee’s such as cancellations, travel, or parking.  

· Name and address of who to bill.

· Invoicing requirements: what the invoice should include, such as cause number, case style, court number, and the judge’s name.

 

ARE YOU BILLINGUAL IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH?

 

Pump up your translation and interpreting skills and increase your value to your court!

 

This specially designed group course includes:

· Individual aptitude assessment of each group member

· Language skills improvement: written and spoken, terminology ,and phraseology

· Professional Interpreting skills improvement: consecutive and simultaneous modes

· Interpreting tools and resources

· Translation tools and resources

The course is designed to meet your court’s needs and enhance your performance.  Contact Diane at dianeteichman@linquisticworld.com for details today.

 

PROCEDURALLY SPEAKING…the most efficient interpreting on the stand is for the question to be interpreted simultaneously, or interpreted at the same time the question is being asked through a transmitter and headset or in a low whisper.  In turn, the witness’s response should be interpreted consecutively, or after their response is entirely stated.  Be sure to request this procedure of your interpreter.

 

If you need continuous interpreting of the entire proceeding for a plaintiff or defendant, the interpreter needs:

· To be interpreting simultaneously, possibly using equipment.

· Either to be permitted to take a break after a few hours, or use a team of interpreters to avoid exhaustion and the resulting errors.

· Copies of standard documents to read along with the judge (Reading out loud is very fast paced.) Specifically:

· Instructions to the Jury

· The charge to the Jury

· The verdict if multiple counts