Helping Eliminate Language Barriers to Justice
“Court is stressful enough without a language barrier. My job is to meet people where they are and provide justice,”Judge Kenton Skarin.
When I first became a judge, I saw people who did not speak English enter my courtroom in terror. Imagine entering a room filled with a hundred people you can’t understand, knowing the judge is going to make decisions about your life and not having any idea what is happening. It’s horrible.
Fortunately, there was a simple way to put people at ease. I got the court interpreters together and asked their advice. Then I added an announcement to my regular routine so everyone would know there was help available.
“Si habla Español, bienvenidos. Si necesita un interprete, porfavor dejenme saber cuando llamen su nombre. Aquí temenos a uno disponible.”
In other words,
“If you speak Spanish, welcome. If you need an interpreter, please let me know when your name is called. We have one available.”
I loved seeing the surprised relief flood people’s faces when I said those words.
I said this countless hundreds of times. It is such a simple thing. But it makes such a difference.
Court is stressful enough without a language barrier. My job is to meet people where they are and provide justice. This was one little step toward that goal.
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