Court Interpreters Advisory Panel

January 25, 2021 Meeting (Closed)

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.

• Notice and Agenda

Previous 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

The 15 member Court Interpreters Advisory Panel includes: one appellate court justice; two superior court judges; two court administrators, including at least one trial court executive officer; four certified or registered court interpreter employees, one from each of the four regions established by California Government Code §71807; two certified or registered independent contract court interpreters in a language other than Spanish; and, four non-voting advisors. Members are appointed by the Chief Justice for a three-year term.

Rule 10.51 of the California Rules of Court states the charge of the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel (CIAP) is to assist the California Judicial Council in 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, CIAP reviews and makes recommendations to the council on:

1. Interpreter use and need in court proceedings;
2. 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 Judicial Council of California every five years under Government Code section 68563.

Download the committee roster

• Hon. Brian L. McCabe, Chair, Judge, Superior Court of Merced County
• Mr. Hector Gonzales Jr., Vice Chair, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Tuolumne County
• Hon. Teresa P. Magno, Judge, Superior Court of Los Angeles County
• Mr. Gurinder Pal Singh Aujla, Registered Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor 
• Mr. Hany Farag, Certified Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Ms. Sharmen Gragirena Lewis, Certified Court Interpreter, Region 3, Superior Court of Kern County
• Ms. Carol Palacio, Certified Court Interpreter, Region 2, Superior Court of San Mateo County
• Ms. Violet Romero, Certified Court Interpreter, Region 4, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Mr. Chris Ruhl, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Monterey County
• Ms. Iris Van Hemert, Certified Court Interpreter, Region 1, Superior Court of Los Angeles County
• Appellate Court Justice (vacant)

Advisors

• Ms. Regina Coronado, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of Sacramento County
• Ms. Mary Ann Ramirez, Court Operations Supervisor, Superior Court of San Diego County
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Ms. Tara Potterveld, Certified Legal American Sign Language Interpreter Independent Contractor

Lead Staff to the Panel:
Ms. Claudia Ortega
Center for Families, Children & the Courts
Court Interpreters Program

Language Access Subcommittee

• Chair: Hon Teresa Magno, Superior Court of Los Angeles County
• Mr. Hany Farag, Certified Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Ms. Tara Potterveld, Certified Legal ASL Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Ms. Sharmen Lewis, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of Kern County
• Ms. Carol Palacio, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of San Mateo County

Professional Standards and Ethics Subcommittee

• Co-Chair: Mr. Chris Ruhl, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Monterey County, and
• Co-Chair: Ms. Mary Ann Ramirez, Court Operations Supervisor, Superior Court of San Diego County
• Mr. Gurinder Aujla, Registered Court Interpreter, Independent Contractor
• Ms. Iris Van Hemert, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of Los Angeles County
• Ms. Violet Romero, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Ms. Regina Coronado, Certified Court Interpreter, Superior Court of Sacramento County

In 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 1750 certified and or registered interpreters currently on the Judicial Council's List of Certified Court Interpreters and Registered Court Interpreters.

See also: Joint Working Group for California's Language Access Plan
The Joint Working Group is composed of two Judicial Council advisory groups: Access & Fairness Advisory Committee and the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel, and also includes bench officers, court staff, and certified and registered court interpreters (both contractors and court employees).