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Court interpreters are there to make sure everyone involved in legal proceedings can understand what's going on. But finding interpreters can be hard. There's a lot of demand across the country, and officials say the need is growing. Sarah Lehr of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.
SARAH LEHR, BYLINE: When Reme Bashi first started as a court interpreter in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, she wore high heels to the courthouse.
REME BASHI: Then I went to flats. Now I'm in the sneaker phase.
LEHR: On a recent Friday, Bashi put those sneakers to work as she walked from hearing to hearing in the sprawling complex that houses Wisconsin's largest circuit court. As a freelance Spanish language interpreter, Bashi's services are in high demand.
BASHI: I turn down almost as many jobs as I accept.
LEHR: Under Wisconsin and federal laws, people with limited English proficiency have the right to a qualified interpreter when they go before a court in many circumstances. Kimberley Bayer, an attorney in Milwaukee, says that ensures everyone gets a fair shake, but Bayer's seeing cases be delayed while a judge searches for a qualified interpreter. For some people, that can mean more time stuck in jail. Once, Bayer had a client who had to wait months for a resolution to his parental rights case.
KIMBERLEY BAYER: It really was pretty painful having to tell him over and over, we don't have enough interpreters so we're going to have to get a new date.
LEHR: There has long been a need for more court interpreters in Wisconsin, but the demand appears to be growing. In 2023, local courts billed nearly 30% more interpreter hours compared to five years prior. That could be fueled in part by a rising number of immigrants who have settled in Wisconsin.
Janice Palma is with the National Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators. She says many states are struggling to find enough court interpreters. Palma says higher pay would help alleviate the problem.
JANIS PALMA: There is a demand for certain skills and certain knowledge, but that's not being compensated at the level that is being demanded.
LEHR: In Milwaukee County, local officials recently agreed to increase interpreter pay from 50 to $65 an hour. In Wisconsin, the state partially reimburses counties for interpreter costs. County Board Chair Marcelia Nicholson says state lawmakers should set aside more money to help localities with those expenses.
MARCELIA NICHOLSON: Because Milwaukee County has competing priorities, it means that sometimes we're not able to allocate as much funding to those interpreter costs.
LEHR: State lawmakers are in the midst of crafting Wisconsin's next budget, and Senate President Mary Felzkowski, a Republican, told NPR in a statement, she's open to hearing fiscally responsible ideas to support local courts.
Being a court interpreter takes more than just being bilingual. Palma says you have to process what's being said and switch from one language to another almost simultaneously.
PALMA: All of this is happening at the same time. Your brain is working overtime.
LEHR: Spanish interpreters are in the highest demand, but finding people qualified to interpret in other languages can be even more of a struggle. Here in Wisconsin, Hmong is one of the most commonly spoken foreign languages. But since there are no certified Hmong interpreters in the state, courts here often rely on people who drive from Minnesota.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Speaking Spanish).
LEHR: Back in a Milwaukee County courtroom, Bashi interprets as a man is sentenced in a reckless driving case.
BASHI: And I also want to offer my apologies to the court and to the community.
LEHR: Then Bashis back on her feet in the courtroom hallway, waiting to be called wherever she's needed next.
For NPR News, I'm Sarah Lehr in Milwaukee.
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