ASSEMBLY PASSES JONES BILL TO
EXPAND ACCESS TO COURT INTERPRETERS

June 1, 2009

(SACRAMENTO) - As the Assembly approaches its deadline to pass bills out of its house of origin, today there was a victory for those who need interpreting services in civil court. AB 663, by Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento), would provide interpreters to people needing language assistance in California civil courts. The measure establishes limited pilot programs across the state to provide a court-appointed interpreter when parties need language assistance in critical civil cases and are unable to afford the cost of a private interpreter.

"Access to justice is a bedrock principle of our democracy, yet there are many Californians for whom language is an insurmountable barrier to the courts. Seven million Californians cannot access court services without significant language assistance and cannot effectively participate in court proceedings without a qualified interpreter," explained Jones.

The courts do not currently provide interpreters for most civil cases. For Californians who need language assistance, the prospect of navigating the legal system is daunting, especially for the growing number of people in our family courts and other cases who have no choice but to appear in court without an interpreter. The court system suffers if court orders are based on incomplete or erroneous information, or if the parties cannot understand and comply with court orders.

AB 663 is sponsored by the Judicial Council, the policy-making body of the California court system, and the State Bar of California. The bill is supported by Asian Americans for Civil Rights & Equality (AACRE), California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation (CRLAF) the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and numerous other legal aid, civil rights and community based organizations. It now moves to the State Senate where it is expected to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee later this month.

Contact: Janice Rocco
(916) 319-2009