LITTLE ROCK — AS THIS state attracts more and more folks for whom English is a second language, the need for interpreters in the courts is going up. As in, really, really up. Would you believe just short of 400 percent in three years?
Sure you would-especially if you noted a story by our Ginny LaRoe the other day. She went back, reviewed the records, and found that court interpreters were being called in on more and more court cases in Arkansas.
And while Spanish is the most common language for which interpreters are needed, Arkansas has plenty of other languages to interpret, too. Which is why interpreters are in demand who speak Vietnamese, Laotian, Romanian and Polish. At least 38 other languages are spoken in this small but increasingly diverse state, not including down-home Arkinsaw.
The growing need for interpreters reflects the influx of non-English speakers into the state. But it also reflects the rising awareness of judges that they need to provide fair hearings in their courts, even for those who have trouble understanding English.
State law requires interpreters when language is a problem, and the judges have to make the call. They're more and more inclined to require the services of an interpreter rather than take the risk that a defendant won't understand the proceedings in court. Nobody we talked to is aware of any convictions being overturned because of unfamiliarity with English, but judges don't want to risk expensive retrialsbecause a defendant didn't understand the case being made against him.
There's now an elaborate system set up to certify interpreters, although their numbers are barely keeping up with the demand. Some interpreters find themselves running from court to court to meet the need.
Our system of justice depends on the perception that it's fair. Not just the perception but the reality. Justice needs to be done whether the defendant has spoken English since birth or just got here and is still struggling with the language.
Is providing interpreters an unfair burden on the American taxpayer? Well, if you want unfair, trying running somebody through our legal system who doesn't even understand English. It can be tough enough for home-grown Americans to understand the intricacies of the law. Toss somebody into the system who can't speak English well enough to communicate, and you're asking for a mistrial.
Simple justice demands that anybody who has trouble with the language get some help. And that's all this growing system of interpreters amounts to-helping those who need it, whether in a complicated criminal case or in something as ordinary as traffic court.
As Arkansas continues to attract those who weren't born and raised here, the need for these court interpreters will continue to grow. Yes, it costs money, but the money's well spent, if it's spent in a good cause: justice.
Indeed, there's no better cause.
Editorial, Pages 20 on 10/27/2007