Immigration Issues

Growing Need For Court Interpreters

Demand for court interpreters is surging around the nation as immigrants who don't speak English are migrating to small towns and suburbs. Authorities are scrambling to find qualified interpreters of dozens of languages -- including some that are so uncommon only a few people speak them.

  • The number of proceedings that required an interpreter jumped 66 percent between 1993 and 1997 -- to 124,500.

  • Nationwide, only 643 interpreters -- all Spanish speakers -- are certified to work in federal courts, up from 120 in 1980.

  • Studies show that desperate judges sometimes resort to calling in relatives, prison inmates or even the courthouse janitor to interpret.

  • Professional interpreters are even available to courts via telephone -- which saves travel and per-diem costs.

Nearly 45 languages have been used in New Jersey state courts -- including some as uncommon as Gujarati, spoken in regions of India, and Pashto and Urdu, spoken in regions of Pakistan.

California spends more on interpreters than any other state -- $33 million in 1995 for criminal proceedings. Litigants in California civil trials have to pay for their own interpreters, but some states provide them for civil trials.

At least 14 states now have regulations covering interpreters, compared to only three states 10 years ago.

Source: Maria Puente, "Keeping the Courts Free of Babel," USA Today, December 19, 1997.

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