Are you in Need of a Court Interpreter?
It is Friday afternoon and the law office you work for as a paralegal has just been hired to represent a man who goes on trial Tuesday morning for capital murder. Apparently, Mr. Castillo, the client your firm is representing, called 911 on the night in question and frantically told the operator in Spanish that his daughter was not breathing and that he thought she may be dead. The ambulance arrived at the scene and after trying to revive the young girl, they pronounced her dead at 10:03 pm on the beige carpet of the living room floor she used to play on. The autopsy later revealed that the child died from blunt force trauma to the head and body, which gave the police motive to arrest Mr. Castillo for the murder of his 4 year old daughter. Mr. Castillo was born and raised in Mexico and recently moved to the United States with his only daughter in search of better job opportunities. He doesn’t speak English and while the firm is rushing around trying to put together a case, it is your job to contact a language service provider in order to hire a Spanish court interpreter for Mr. Castillo while he is on trial.
You attended a business lunch with one of the lawyers from the firm you work at a while back and someone handed you a Niki’s Int’l Ltd. business card, you held onto it because you knew it would be of good use in the future. You call and to your surprise Niki’s Int’l Ltd. was able to provide you with a certified and highly qualified legal interpreter even on such short notice. The role of a court interpreter is very important, that is why it is crucial that they have extensive experience interpreting in a legal setting in order to accurately convey not only the words but the true meaning and emotions behind what is being said under oath. Working in settings such as federal or criminal courtrooms can be an immense amount of pressure, so it is imperative that you enlist the aid of a court interpreter that has the experience needed to be able to handle the labors of the job. Many aspects need to be considered when assigning a court interpreter to your specific case, Niki’s Int’l Ltd. can eliminate your worry by providing you with a linguist from their network of court interpreters that are available in over 350 languages and dialects.
Benefits of Hiring a Language Service Provider When in Need of a Court Interpreter
- A Certified and Qualified Court Interpreter:
In order to be hired as a court interpreter being bilingual is not enough, the interpreter must be fluent and on the same level as an educated native speaker in both the source and target languages they speak. Many court systems and employers prefer interpreters who have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, that could mean that they have some form of legal or language degree. There are certifications that are administered by the Consortium for Language Access in the Courts and the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators that are very beneficial to have as a court interpreter and it is required in most states that a court interpreter have specific state certifications in order to provide legal interpretations within that state. Aside from the educational requirements and certifications acquired, a legal interpreter must have a sufficient amount of experience in order to provide a professional and accurate legal interpretation. Court interpreters must be fluent in not only the languages they speak, but legal procedures as well as terminology which is always used in a court of law. Court interpreters have to be able to understand these difficult words in the source language and have the ability to interpret them in a way that is precisely understood in the target language. Quite often a court interpreter will be asked to read and translate a written file that corresponds with the case. Legal terminology can be hard to interpret, so it is important that court interpreters have the experience needed to correctly grasp the meanings of the heightened vocabulary and accurately convey the messages that are presented in a way that is effectively understood by the audience.
The job of a court interpreter goes far beyond just being present to interpret on the day of the trial, often times the court interpreter will be asked to go with the attorney to the jail in order to speak with the client. Court interpreters are sometimes asked to attend the interview that takes place following the arrest of a person in question, this can happen at all hours of the day and night and they are expected to arrive at the police station ready to hear, understand and articulate the sometimes gruesome conversations that occur during these police interviews. It is a hard job to ensure that a person is properly understood and interpreting in any manner is mentally taxing, so in instances where the proceedings last many hours or span over a long period of time, two interpreters will be assigned to interpret to provide breaks in order to regain concentration and reduce fatigue. Due to the advanced multitasking skills that court interpreters possess they are able to digest and comprehend the information provided in the source language, memorize it, and then articulate it in the target language. A court interpreter has to have the right education, credentials and extensive experience to be able to effectively and accurately provide a client with a professional and precise court interpretation.
Hiring a language service provider when you are in need of a legal interpretation is the best way to ensure that you are getting an accurate, professional and qualified court interpreter. Niki’s Int’l Ltd. provides professional court interpreters who will always arrive on time and prepared to deliver excellent service while on the job; additionally, our strict quality control process assures that we match your needs with the most qualified court interpreter for your case. The testimony of a witness can dictate the outcome of the case and when not interpreted correctly that could mean a death sentence or life in prison for the person who is on trial. Everyone deserves the right to be heard and understood, therefore, providing your clients with a qualified court interpreter gives them a bridge that connects the language gaps.
Niki’s Int’l Ltd. is a WBENC-Certified Women Business Enterprise with 20 years of language service experience. A global network of highly skilled translators and interpreters are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for on-site, telephonic and video remote interpretation services. Our linguists are available in over 350 languages and dialects, and our network includes certified legal translators and interpreters. Our work is guaranteed with a $1 Million Errors & Omissions policy, so that you can be confident that your project will be completed with the highest level of quality and professionalism within the field. For more information contact us at 1-877-567-8449 or visit our website at www.nilservices.com.