COURT INTERPRETER SERVICES

Court appointed Spanish interpreter services are available daily for Criminal, Traffic, Juvenile, and some Family Law matters. Interpreter services in other languages (including sign languages) are available on an as needed basis.

How does the court interpreter assist?
Spoken language court interpreters interpret in court proceedings (e.g., arraignments, motions, pretrial conferences, preliminary hearings, depositions, trials) for witnesses or defendants who speak or understand little or no English. American Sign Language interpreters interpret for all parties who are deaf or hard of hearing in all proceedings. All court interpreters possess a high level of education, an extensive vocabulary, and knowledge about legal terms in order to assist individuals with limited English language skills.  Court interpreters shift between two different languages, in real time, accounting for different types of speech and grammar,  without changing the language register of the speaker. Court interpreters are not advocates and therefore cannot provide legal assistance or advice.
 
For information about the California Court Interpreters Program, please visit  http://www.courts.ca.gov/programs-interpreters.