New fees fail to satisfy
state court interpreters
Court interpreters are unhappy with a new state fee schedule and guidelines that go into effect Jan. 1.
CORRECTION
Thursday, July 10, 2003>> Some court interpreters are unhappy with a new state fee schedule and guidelines. An article on Page A6 yesterday implied that all court interpreters are unhappy with the new fees.
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The state courts announced yesterday non-certified court interpreters will receive $50 base pay for up to two hours of work and $25 for each additional hour.
Certified interpreters will get $75 base pay for two hours and $37.50 for each subsequent hour. Beyond eight hours, the hourly rates are $37.50 for non-certified interpreters and $56.25 for certified.
Court interpreters now receive a flat $50 fee for a half day for trials, $40 for other assignments, with no distinction between those certified or not.
"It's not an increase at all," said John Hays, an interpreter in Hawaii for 20 years. "It's impossible to live on these rates."
Interpreters say they haven't had an increase in 20 years and the new rates do not reflect a cost of living increase. Judiciary officials say fees went up in 1989 but could not say by how much.
Interpreters say most proceedings last two hours or less, so the $50 fee for two hours amounts to a $10 raise, small considering their out-of-pocket expenses.
The Legislature appropriated $91,000, just half the $182,000 the Judiciary requested.
Many interpreters command $150 an hour, which resulted in the courts having problems getting interpreters for full-day trials at $100 a day, Circuit Judge Sabrina McKenna said. "Now they can earn $200 to $300 a day."
"We're trying to be fair while being fiscally responsible," said McKenna, chairwoman of the state Supreme Court's Committee on Certification of Court Interpreters.
For the first time the new guidelines, allow compensation for wait times between court sessions, and payment for interpreting work done outside the courtroom.
