Area courts see huge rise in need for interpretation services

Bartholomew County courts continue to see rising need for interpreter services.

The Bartholomew County Council was asked this week to approve moving funds within the budget of Bartholomew Superior Court No. 2 in order to continue funding interpretation work and other services.

Judge Jon Rohde explained that the county has seen an explosion in the need for outside services including help with competency evaluations and appeal costs for indigent clients. But he said the need remains high for translation service, requiring the court to double its use of translation for Spanish speakers.  The court is also seeing more obscure languages with his courtroom requiring interpreters for Haitian Creole and Swahili one afternoon a month among others.

Rohde came before the council earlier this year to move funds for the translation requirements, which he said he is mandated by law to provide.

The council approved moving $10 thousand dollars from machinery and equipment maintenance into the contracts for court interpreters.