In a diverse county like LA, where numerous languages are spoken, the role of interpreters in the criminal court system is crucial. If an individual, who is arrested and charged with a crime, does not speak the language used in the courthouse, they will be provided with an interpreter who speaks their specific language. This ensures that they can fully understand and participate in the legal proceedings.

There are a number of interpreters stationed inside every single courthouse. For example, Spanish speakers are present in every single courtroom in all the courthouses in Los Angeles County.

If you find yourself in a situation where you're charged with a crime and you require an interpreter, the process is straightforward. Simply inform your attorney of your need for an interpreter. Your attorney will then notify the court, which will ensure that an interpreter is available for you during all court proceedings, including discussions with your attorney and filling out paperwork. If you don't have an attorney, you can request an interpreter directly from the court.

The courts are deeply committed to ensuring that every individual, regardless of the language they speak, fully comprehends their rights and the proceedings inside the courthouse. This commitment extends to those who speak less common languages, as the court typically provides interpreters for such cases as well, ensuring everyone's understanding and participation. This commitment should provide you with a sense of security during your legal proceedings. 

They just have to be ordered every single time the person goes to court to make sure that they're there, and that sometimes can be time-consuming while you wait for the courts to get an interpreter, especially if it's a language that is not always in the courts. Sometimes, that person might be stretched a little bit thin going from court to court.

So, again, it's your attorney who can assist you in making sure that you understand everything that's going on in the court with your interpreter.

Can Not Having An Interpreter Permit You To Withdraw A Plea?

Commonly, people will return months or years later and claim that they did not understand what was happening in court, which is why they accepted the deal they did. A lot of times, we see this in immigration situations where somebody is now being deported from the country.

Now, their immigration attorney presses them to claim that they didn't understand certain things. If this occurs, a motion will be filed to withdraw the plea due to the person's lack of understanding.

If a person does not speak the language well or did not understand it at the time of the plea, they may have grounds to challenge the plea. However, if the plea is withdrawn, the prosecutors may still pursue charges. This underscores the importance of having an interpreter in court, as it can prevent misunderstandings that could lead to unintended legal consequences, such as accepting a plea deal without fully understanding its implications. 

Having an interpreter in court is not just a formality; it's a crucial tool for understanding and defending yourself. Without this assistance, you might find yourself in a difficult situation, possibly pleading guilty to something you're not actually guilty of. An interpreter empowers you to understand and participate in your case fully, giving you a sense of control over your legal situation.

Effective communication with your attorney is key to a successful defense. If you're not able to fully express your side of the story due to language barriers, your attorney may not be able to represent you fully. This is why having an interpreter is not just a right, but a necessity for a fair trial. Understanding this necessity should make you feel the importance of your rights in the legal system. 

That's a legitimate argument; in my opinion, if someone is not using an interpreter, they likely don't speak English very good English, and their attorney is unable to convey their side of the story. This would be a good argument that any of the proceedings relating to that situation should be null and void, and the person is entitled to have an interpreter at all stages of the proceedings.

Do You Actually Have To Pay For The Interpreter In LA County?

Typically, all interpreters in criminal cases are provided free of charge because everyone is entitled to have their rights protected, and everyone is obviously entitled to understand exactly what is going on with their criminal case.

Where it sometimes gets a little tricky is if your attorney wants to visit you in custody. Typically, if it's a private attorney, they will have to pay for an interpreter to meet them there, and it must be a court-certified interpreter.

Additionally, in any court proceeding, the court will ensure that you have an attorney. If you have a public defender, they can provide you with an attorney at no cost and communicate with you both in and outside of court.

Does It Have To Be A Court-Certified Interpreter?

When it comes to criminal cases, the interpreter must be certified by the court. Every time that person appears in court, they must disclose their badge number and adhere to specific standards to ensure that the language they interpret for a criminal defendant in Los Angeles is done correctly and accurately, and that they understand it.

I can't tell you how many times transcripts have been transcribed by an interpreter who needs to know what they're doing, and they mess it all up. They don't interpret it correctly, and that can be crucial because if things aren't interpreted correctly, then a person cannot fully understand what's going on.

So, whoever the interpreter is in court must be a court-certified interpreter and must put their certification on the record. This ensures that when they're interpreting, the courts are satisfied that they're interpreting accurately and that the person understands them.

Also, a lot of times, what happens is somebody will enter into a plea and a form will have to fill out where the person has to read that, so in that circumstance, the court interpreter is responsible for reading the document to the person in their native language, and then certifying and signing at the end that they interpreted that.

Of course, the court is going to ask the person, 'Hey, did you have this read to you by a court-certified interpreter?' ' Did you understand it? Do you have any questions? Having an interpreter in an LA court who speaks your language, your dialect that you understand, is crucial and is part of the criminal process.