Costs for interpreters have been ‘minimal’
YOUNGSTOWN
Common-pleas court administrators in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties report they’ve incurred minimal expenses for language interpreters so far.
And, they added, they don’t expect those expenses to become a hardship under the Ohio Supreme Court’s new rule taking effect a year from now.
Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, which used English-Spanish interpreters for an October murder trial, spent nearly $5,000 for interpreters during 2011.
“I really do not expect the amount to increase. Hopefully, with new Supreme Court requirements, there will be more interpreters becoming qualified and closer to Youngstown” with costs decreasing due to an increased supply of interpreters, said Robert Regula, administrator of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2013, the state’s top court is requiring that, when a judge finds that an interpreter is needed, a top-court- certified interpreter must be employed, if one is available.
“I do not expect it to be a financial hardship. Most of our cases do not require an interpreter,” Regula said, adding that his court already is using state- certified interpreters and “acting as if the standards are in place.”
In recent years, Regula said his court has used interpreters for Spanish, Chinese and American Sign Language for the deaf.
Trumbull County Common Pleas Court has made minimal use of interpreters, spending no money for them in 2010 and just $120 in 2011 for a sign-language interpreter for a hearing-impaired potential juror.
“To the extent it is practicable,” that court is acting as if the new standard is already in place, said Magistrate Anthony Cornicelli, who is also court administrator.
Besides sign language, that court has, in recent years, used interpreters for Greek, Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic.
In Columbiana County, the common-pleas court spent $45 for interpreter services in 2010 and nothing in 2011, according to Amy Ondrejko, court operations officer.
In Columbiana County, interpreters have been used in recent years for Spanish and American Sign Language and paid $45 per hour.
Trumbull County negotiates hourly payment rates with interpreters on a case-by-case basis and pays their mileage to and from court only if their individual agreements call for mileage payments.
Mahoning County’s hourly rates vary with the interpreter; and it pays for interpreters’ travel at 50 cents per mile. Columbiana County pays 55 cents per mile if the interpreter requests or requires mileage payments.
Mahoning and Columbiana counties pay for interpreters using county funds.
Trumbull County usually pays with county funds, “but sometimes counsel or the parties have made their own arrangements and paid privately,” Cornicelli said.