Court interpreters play a vital role in the court system but have seen their numbers diminish in Queens, where over 160 languages are spoken. Eagle file photo by Phineas Rueckert
By Noah Powelson
Court interpreters provide crucial services for hundreds of New Yorkers going through the court system every day, navigating a system in a language they don’t speak. Nowhere is their job more crucial than the World’s Borough, home to the most diverse population in the United States.
But despite the need, Queens’ courts have a shortage of court interpreters and have seen a major reduction in their ranks over the past half decade.
According to New York Office of Court Administration data, Queens’ courts have lost a third of their court interpreter staff over the past five years. In 2019, there were 61 court interpreters assigned to Queens courts. Today, there are only 41 interpreters.
With the exception of a minor increase in 2023, Queens’ court interpreter staff numbers have steadily declined with no upward trends dating back to 2019.
The reason behind the drop in numbers is two-fold: the court system saw many older employees retire in the years following the pandemic, and court interpreting is a highly skilled profession that requires rigorous education and testing, making recruiting qualified candidates difficult, officials say.
The result, according to Queens court interpreters and judges who spoke to the Eagle, are regular delays and rescheduling as staff rush to ensure coverage across all hearings in a system already prone to delays and case backlogs.
In the World’s Borough, which contains at least 160 unique languages and dialects according to the World Economic Forum, the need for a wide array of interpreters is higher than anywhere else in the country. A New York City-based language documenting nonprofit known as the Endangered Language Alliance said there are as many as 800 languages spoken across the whole city, and Queens is home to more of them than any other borough.
A spokesperson for the Office of Court Administration said court leaders are aware of the interpreter shortage, and that they’ve implemented a number of policies to drive recruitment. That includes a multi-platform recruitment initiative for the Spanish Court Interpreter civil service examination, a court interpreter internship program, increased court interpreter salaries and raised rates for per diem court interpreters.
“The New York State Unified Court System is committed to expanding its pool of qualified court interpreters to meet the growing need for language access services in the Courts, incorporating a variety of recruitment strategies that include digital and media outreach, community and stakeholder engagement, interpreter pipeline development, expanded exam access, and ongoing outreach for less common but high-need languages,” the OCA spokesperson told the Eagle in a statement.
Yet with only 41 court interpreters serving the needs of all Queens courts, including Criminal, Civil, Family Court and others, slow downs and rescheduled hearings are only natural.
Two Queens judges told the Eagle they experience regular delays of 15 to 20 minutes waiting for court interpreters to be available for hearings. While that might not seem like much time, given the hundreds of cases that go through all Queens courts every day, those waiting periods can add up, the judges said.
Spanish and Mandarin are the languages most in demand in Queens by far, and make up most of the court’s interpreters. Queens Criminal Court tends to have a much higher volume of cases with quicker hearings, and it’s common for hundreds of cases to require Spanish interpretation each day.
According to the OCA, Queens Criminal Court has 22 interpreters on staff, while the Supreme Court, Criminal Term has four. Queens Family Court has the second-highest number of interpreters on staff with 10, while Queens Civil and Supreme Civil have three and two respectively.
Issues are especially apparent when an interpreter for a less common language is needed. For languages like Korean, Punjabi, Haitian or other dialects, the courts may only have one or two interpreters. At times, someone appearing in court may speak a language that the court does not have an interpreter for, in which case the courts will need to reserve a specialized interpreter from outside the borough, oftentimes virtually.
“Queens is the melting pot of the world,” a Queens judge granted anonymity told the Eagle. “If it’s a very unusual language, we need to order somebody in advance.”
Queens’ court staffers have access to a registry of per diem interpreters who are called in on a case-by-case basis to address language needs. An OCA spokesperson said the registry includes over 1,500 per diem interpreters in over 200 languages. OCA said this year, Queens County has had 4,782 per diem interpreter appearances in 74 languages, who have assisted 21,144 court users.
But other courts also have access to this registry, and the logistics of organizing hundreds of interpreters across the state to appear virtually naturally means gaps in service will happen. One Queens judge who was given anonymity said it’s not uncommon to adjourn a hearing until the following day without progress on the case because no interpreter was available for the day.
“Over the years, I’m encountering more specialized languages,” the Queens judge told the Eagle. “It has been getting worse.”
Court staff shortages are not a Queens specific issue. Courts across the state have struggled to recruit attorneys, clerks, court officers, interpreters and all positions since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Judges have said recent efforts to modernize courtroom technology has helped the issue. Video calls have allowed interpreters from elsewhere in the state or country to appear in court remotely. Such a solution was not widely available prior to the start of the pandemic. Many courtrooms are also supplied with headsets and microphones, making it easier for multiple individuals who speak the same language to use the same interpreter.
But virtual court appearances bring their own set of problems. Remote interpretation is generally slower because of internet latency, and there is always the risk of severe lag, audio issues and general troubleshooting in the middle of the hearing. While technology can fill in some gaps, it can’t make up for additional experienced and skilled interpreters appearing in-person.
“There is no question there is a shortage,” a different Queens judge who was granted anonymity, told the Eagle. “Although they try the best they can, they are stretched thin…We have to problem solve on a daily basis.”
Despite the shortage, no one who spoke with the Eagle said the current interpreter shortage has led to the prevention of a case reaching a disposition.
Every case requires constant coordination and communication to ensure the right staff are ready and available, and if an interpreter calls out sick, that’s one more hurdle the judges and clerks need to account for as they get through the day’s work.
“We deal with it, we get through it, and those judges that are more experienced get through it faster,” the judge said.
Court interpreters who spoke with the Eagle said that part of the issue with recruiting is that it’s a highly specialized profession that not many know about. Simply being bilingual isn’t enough. All potential recruits must receive a court interpretation certification from an accredited program, and pass a written and oral exam before they can be hired. The oral exam is frequently where applicants struggle.
One court interpreter in Queens Criminal Court said it takes years of practice and training to be able to quickly and accurately interpret live court hearings, especially during tense criminal trials with lots of back-and-forth arguments and people talking over each other.
“It’s just really hard to find the right fit,” the interpreter said. “Even if you have people that have the right skills, they still need to be knowledgeable about the various modes of interpreting.”
Sometimes, interpreters will have to be on call for two separate court parts if one of their coworkers is sick or otherwise unavailable that day. One interpreter told the Eagle that it was common for them to interpret dozens of individual cases in one morning.
Court interpreters don’t exist just for the court record; they are the literal voice for clients who cannot defend or represent themselves without one. While every judge, attorney, clerk, reporter and officer are necessary to ensure a fair justice system, court interpreters play an intimate role ensuring the voices of Queens are heard.
River Liu, a senior court interpreter at Queens Criminal Court, said his staff play a crucial role in ensuring the people of Queens feel respected when their day in court comes.
“For them, I think they do find some comfort when they have an interpreter there,” Liu said. “When you are in a setting where you don’t know what’s going on, it’s scary…Just being there for them, our presence, it helps them feel like they have their equal rights despite the language barrier.”
Many court interpreters, whether they were immigrants themselves or raised by an immigrant family, grew up speaking two languages at home. For many interpreters, they were raised acutely aware of the difficulties non-native English speakers go through when navigating the intimidating and convoluted judicial system. For many, interpreters are not just impartial court staff, but their guide through likely some of the most difficult parts of their lives.
“It’s a great job,” Liu said. “We’re the voice for the people of the court; we bridge that gap.”
