Rauch Companies, L.L.C. P.O. Box 783 Millburn, NJ 07041

Tel 973-921-0800 Fax 973-921-0800 http://www.rauchcom.com Email: info@rauchcom.com

Overview

An SJI Grant was issued to establish, manage and study a remote judicial interpreting pilot program for a consortium of states in the four corner region of the United States. The Four Corner's Telephone Interpreting Pilot Project, administered from the Santa Fe offices of the New Mexico State Courts, will primarily provide the services of certified Spanish interpreters and other certified or registered interpreters, if available, to remote counties in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. As part of the Grant, The US District Court, District of New Mexico has agreed to contribute remote interpreting expertise, and when necessary, interpreting time. Interpreters will deliver their interpreting via telephone using equipment developed by Rauch Companies, L.L.C. This program is designed to provide equal access to the courts for non-English speaking individuals in geographically isolated areas while decreasing the use of noncertified interpreters. The program is also intended to minimize the number of delayed or continued cases. It is not intended to replace an available, live, certified interpreter but is an acceptable alternative to using a live, noncertified, unqualified interpreter.

Mechanics

Courts identified as having a demonstrated need for interpreters ( "receiver courts") will have courtrooms designated for receiving remote telephone interpreting. These rooms will be equipped with the Courtroom Conference System, which includes a conference phone, two extension microphones, and a cordless phone with which the non-English speaking party will exclusively speak and listen to the interpreter. Provisions are available for private attorney/client conferences. The off-site interpreter working from a central location ("provider courts") has a headset, a boom microphone, and a console with voice- level adjustment controls. The console has two lines so that the interpreter can listen to the non-English- speaking party on one line and render his or her interpretation on the other line.

Receiver Courts

The Superior and Municipal Courts within the following states were selected to participate:

These sites were selected since they (1) have a frequent need for interpreters and (2) depend on noncertified interpreters to meet that need. Also, these sites were selected based on the expected cooperation of judges and court staff as the administrators of these court systems look for solutions to contemporary court management issues (i.e. how to get skilled, certified, judicial interpreters to remote parts of their jurisdictions for short cause proceedings, while being both economically and judicially acceptable).

Provider Courts

Two certified Spanish interpeters are located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and one interpreter is in Las Cruces. The program can also draw upon the experience of the staff interpreter's office in the US District Court in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Plans to expand the interpreter pool are underway once the volume of proceedings increase.

Benefits of Project

Unlike commercial telephone interpreting services, only judicially certified, federally certified and NCSC certified interpreters will perform services under this pilot, thus ensuring that the quality of interpreting meets the minimum standards set by rule of court. In addition, the equipment allows both simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, and the costs of the equipment, long-distance calls, and interpreter's time will be borne by the Grant.

Please write directly to the Administrative Office of the Court to learn more about their Telephone Interpreting Program.