Interpreters are still lacking in Los Angeles civil cases, legal-aid advocates say
Given a chance to provide qualified interpreters voluntarily to civil litigants who don’t speak English, after the U.S. Department of Justice identified a civil rights issue, the Los Angeles County court system and the state judicial council in charge of all California courts have made progress.
But a draft strategic plan developed by a task force that was released in July doesn’t call for a full interpreter program to be in place until 2020, the Los Angeles Times (sub. req.) reports.
And the plan also sets goals and guidelines rather than strict standards for compliance, a lawyer who helped the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles file a complaint on behalf of two Korean-speaking women points out.
“It’s more sort of like a list of suggestions—we wanted recognition that there was a legal obligation to do this rather than something they thought would be nice for litigants,” attorney Joann Lee tells the newspaper. “All counties should be providing interpreters in all proceedings for everyone.”
Those in charge of court administration say providing interpreters to all who could use them is a complex process. In Los Angeles County, most non-English speakers need Spanish interpreters. But translation may also be required in another 225 or so languages spoken in the area. The superior court employs some 400 certified interpreters and contracts with 200 more to provide services to those speaking approximately 85 different languages, the Times reports.
“This is an issue that has a larger number of moving parts than most people understand,” Justice Maria Rivera of the state Court of Appeal tells the newspaper. She co-chairs the task force.that developed the draft strategic plan.
