subject: Justice For Language Minorities [print this page] Justice For Language Minorities Justice For Language Minorities
Justice For Language Minorities
The court system is one of the fundamental building blocks of justice in California. California's civil courts are a place where people can go to get justice in the every day encounters that they have in their lives. For example, they can go to the courts when a building contractor fails to complete promised renovations on their homes, when an insurance company refuses to pay a just claim, or when they are unlawfully evicted from their homes.
However, most court proceedings are conducted in English. People who speak limited English often can't use those courts effectively because they do not understand what is being said during those proceedings.
According to 2008 US Census Bureau data, roughly 14.4 million people in California, above the age of five, speak limited English. That is 39 percent of the total population of our state. A little over 3 million of them speak an Asian or Pacific Islander language. Spanish speakers make up 9.5 million of them. Wealthy non English speakers can pay people for translation service during court proceedings. But the many people on limited income cannot afford this.
For many years advocates for people who speak limited English have pushed for state legislation to provide free translation services in civil courts for people on limited income and who speak limited English. But those bills have routinely failed.
The latest attempt is a bill introduced by Assembly Member Dave Jones. The bill is AB 633. If passed, AB 663 would require California's court system to select up to five courts to participate in a pilot project to provide free interpreters in civil to people who speak limited English and who have limited income.
The bill was approved by two committees in the Assembly and by the full Assembly. Then it was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
However, the bill is now stalled in the Senate. The state would, of course have to provide the money to pay those interpreters. All along it was planned that money would be set aside for this purpose. However, now, the legislators, the Governor, and leaders of the California courts are proposing taking that money and instead using it to pay for the general operations of the state courts. That would kill the translation pilot project for lack of funds to pay for it.
It is really frustrating that, according to the latest date from the Census Bureau, roughly 58% of the population of California are minorities. And minorities consistently earn less than White Californians. But time and time again state Government fails to meet the needs of its minorities. California's minority communities need to do a much better job of organizing and engaging in effective lobbying of state government to make government provide the services needed by People of Color.
