Court Interpreters Advisory Panel

August 3, 2023 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meeting (Open to the Public with Closed Session

12:15 – 1:15 p.m.

• Notice and Agenda
• Materials

American Sign Language interpretation will be available for this meeting. Once the meeting starts at 12:15 PM, everyone will be notified that sign language interpretation is available.

To view the interpretation window on a desktop: In the meeting controls toolbar, click the Interpretation icon. Click on American Sign Language.

To view the interpretation on smaller screen sizes or mobile devices: You may have to click the More ... icon, then click Interpretation icon. Click on American Sign Language

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Previous Meetings

• 2023 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2022 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2021 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2020 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2019 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2018 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2017 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2016 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2015 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings
• 2014 Court Interpreters Advisory Panel Meetings

In accordance with rule 10.51 of the California Rules of Court, the eleven membership positions of the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel include: one appellate court justice; two superior court judges; two court administrators, including at least one trial court executive officer; four certified or registered court interpreters working as employees in the trial courts, one from each of the four regions established by California Government Code section 71807; and two interpreters certified or registered in a language other than Spanish, each working either in a trial court as an independent contractor or in an educational institution. The Chief Justice may also appoint nonmember advisors to assist the advisory panel. Members are appointed by the Chief Justice for a three-year term.

Members

• Hon. Brian L. McCabe, Chair, Judge, Superior Court of Merced County
• Mr. Hector Gonzalez, Jr., Vice-Chair, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Tuolumne County
• Mr. Hany Farag, Certified Court Interpreter (Arabic), Independent Contractor
• Ms. Amelia Loera, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Region 4, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Ms. Mary Ma, Certified Court Interpreter (Mandarin), Region 2, Superior Court of Santa Clara County
• Ms. M. Luisa McEwen, Certified Court Interpreter (Portuguese), Independent Contractor 
• Mr. José Navarrete, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Region 1, Superior Court of Santa Barbara County
• Mr. Tam “Tyler” T. Nguyen, Certified Court Interpreter (Vietnamese), Region 3, Superior Court of Sacramento County
• Hon. Michael P. Pulos, Judge, Superior Court of San Diego County
• Ms. Anabel Z. Romero, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Hon. Maurice Sanchez, Associate Justice, Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three

Advisors

• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Independent Contractor
• Mr. Mark Crossley, Certified Court Interpreter (American Sign Language), Independent Contractor
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Ms. Shirley Luo, Program Manager, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

Interpreter Language Access Subcommittee

• Mr. Mark Crossley, Certified Court Interpreter (American Sign Language), Superior Court of Sacramento County
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Mr. Hany Farag, Certified Court Interpreter (Arabic), Independent Contractor
• Mr. Tam "Tyler" T. Nguyen, Court Interpreter (Vietnamese), Superior Court of Sacramento County
• Ms. Carol Palacio, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Superior Court of San Mateo County

Professional Standards and Ethics Subcommittee

• Mr. Chris Ruhl, Chair, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Monterey County
• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Independent Contractor
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Ms. Iris Van Hemert, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Superior Court of Los Angeles County

Rule 10.51 of the California Rules of Court states that the charge of the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel is to assist the Judicial Council with performing its duties under Government Code sections 68560 through 68566, and to promote access to spoken-language interpreters and interpreters for deaf and hearing-impaired persons. To carry out this charge, the committee reviews and makes recommendations to the council on:
 

1. Interpreter use and need in court proceedings;
2. The certification, registration, testing, recruiting, training, continuing education and professional conduct of court interpreters; and,
3. The findings of the language need and interpreter use study for interpreters in California court proceedings that is conducted by the council every five years pursuant to Government Code section 68563.

May of 1978, after a comprehensive survey of the language needs of California citizens, the enactment of AB 2400 made California the first state to mandate court interpreter services and testing of interpreter skills and competency. In January 1993, the Legislature required the council to certify and register court interpreters and adopt standards and requirements for interpreter education. (Sen. Bill 1304; Stats. 1992, ch. 770.) At the same time, the Legislature also created the court interpreters' fund, and mandated data collection and periodic study of language use and interpreter need in California.

As a result of SB 1304, the Chief Justice appointed the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel as a new Judicial Council standing advisory committee. The Court Interpreters Advisory Panel is unique in that a majority of the voting members must be court interpreters.

California has the largest pool of certified and registered interpreters in the country. There are over 1,700 certified and or registered interpreters currently on the council's Master List of Certified Court Interpreters and Registered Interpreters.