Scope
- Project Overview and Scope
- Service Priorities (by County Population)
- Types of Cases for Which Interpreter Services Are Available
Using the Services
- Can the Court Use TRIP for this Hearing?
- How to Find an Interpreter for Other Types of Cases
- How to Enroll for Interpreter Services
- Spanish Interpretation Services
- Non-Spanish Interpretation Services
- Request for a Non-Spanish Services Approval Code
Staff Interpreters
For the Court
- Sample Oath for Interpreter
- Instructions for Hearing Participants
- Protective Order Warnings (Spanish translation with audio)
- Spanish-English Glossary of Domestic Violence Terms
- Spanish English Problem Cognates
Project Documents
Project Overview and Scope
The Texas Remote Interpreter Project (TRIP) of the Office of Court Administration (OCA) is a three-year, grant-funded program that provides:
- free foreign language interpretation services
- in cases involvng intimate partner violence
- Available to ALL counties:
- in civil cases
- by licensed court interpreters (Spanish) or licensed or qualified interpreters (languages other than Spanish)
- Available to counties with a population of less than 50,000:
- in criminal cases
- by licensed court interpreters (Spanish only)
- for hearings in district and county-level courts
- via telephone call using the court's speakerphone; by computer voice over Internet protocol (VOIP); or by computer videoconferencing.
Remote site interpretation means that the interpreters are not physically present in the courtroom.
Spanish language interpretation services will be provided entirely by licensed court interpreters employed by OCA. Interpretation services for languages other than Spanish will be provided by a commercial interpretation service under contract with OCA.
Focus. The project's focus is to improve access to licensed Spanish court interpreters in rural areas where the courts have little or no access to licensed Spanish court interpreters. However, TRIP services may be used by district and county-level courts in all counties, when available.
Supplanting. TRIP services must not be used to replace county-funded licensed Spanish court interpreter services in civil and criminal cases involving intimate partner violence provided at no cost to either party;¹ or licensed or qualified interpreters in languages other than Spanish in civil cases involving family violence between intimate partners provided at no cost to either party. However, TRIP services are available in certain limited situations for counties that provide county-funded interpretation services, as follows:
- For counties that provide interpreter services in civil matters without cost to either party, the project services are available only if OCA receives the court's confirmation that (1) there is no county-funded licensed Spanish court interpreter or licensed or qualified court interpreter in a language other than Spanish available at the time of the hearing; and (2) delaying the case would likely cause undue hardship to or is likely to endanger the party seeking relief.
- For counties with a population of less than 50,000, the Spanish interpretation services provided by OCA's licensed court interpreters are available in criminal matters only if OCA receives the court's confirmation that (1) there is no county-funded licensed Spanish court interpreter available at the time of the hearing; and (2) delaying the case would likely cause undue hardship to or is likely to endanger the party seeking relief.
¹ Interpreter services in criminal cases are only available to courts in counties with a population of less than 50,000.
FOR DETAILED INFORMATION REGARDING THE SCHEDULING AND USE OF THE TEXAS REMOTE INTERPRETER PROJECT, SEE THE COURT GUIDE TO USING THE TEXAS REMOTE INTERPRETER PROJECT SERVICES
How to Find an Interpreter for Other Types of Cases
When a case does not qualify for TRIP services, please use the following link from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation to find the nearest Licensed Court Interpreter in the language required. Scheduling and payment should be arranged directly with the independent contractors in this registry: http://www.license.state.tx.us/LicenseSearch/LicenseSearch.asp
How to Enroll for Interpreter Services
Before services can be scheduled, the court must submit the Participation Agreement, signed and dated by the judge, to OCA and complete the enrollment form at:
www.appointmentquest.com/provider/2150096234/signup.
If your court would like to obtain TRIP services, please review the policies and procedures in The Court Guide to Scheduling and Using the Texas Remote Interpreter Project Service. For a summary of the user's guide, please review the Benchcard.
Service Priorities (by County Population)
The project's focus is on improving access to licensed Spanish court interpreters in rural areas. The services are provided according to the following priorities:
- Service Priority 1-Counties with a population of less than 50,000 can schedule an appointment beginning 30 days before the proceeding.
- Service Priority 2-Counties with a population of 50,000 or more but less than 500,000 can schedule an appointment beginning two business days before the proceeding.
- Service Priority 3-Counties with a population of 500,000 or more can schedule an appointment beginning on the day the service is needed.
Spanish Interpretation
Scheduling an Appointment. Before a court can use this service, it must submit a Participation Agreement, signed and dated by the judge, and conduct a brief test session with the OCA interpreter to ensure that the courtroom equipment is adequate for clear communication. Following this enrollment, the court will be sent a link and login information to access the interpreters' calendar online to reserve sessions. A confirmation e-mail will contain either the phone number to call (for voice-only interpretation) or the link to click (for VOIP or videoconferencing).
Hours of Service. Spanish language interpretation services are available on weekdays, except on state holidays, as posted on AppointmentQuest.com. The court can log in at http://www.appointmentquest.com/provider/2150096234/login to check availability.
Technical Requirements. To use this service, the court must have the following in the courtroom:
- a landline, full-duplex speakerphone (minimum technology required), which means that parties at both ends can speak at the same time and hear the other party simultaneously;
- a computer with a microphone and Internet access (for free VOIP); OR
- a computer with a microphone, a webcam, and broadband Internet access (for free videoconferencing, which is the preferred technology).
When available, videoconferencing is the preferred method for providing remote-site interpretation services because of the importance of non-verbal cues in rendering an accurate interpretation. OCA interpreters use MegaMeeting, a web-based commercial videoconferencing service for both VOIP and videoconferencing. MegaMeeting does not require installation of any software and usually is not blocked by courthouse network security programs. The participants will simply log on to a website by clicking on a link in the e-mail they receive in confirmation of each request for services.
OCA Staff Interpreters. Spanish language interpreter services will be provided entirely by licensed court interpreters. Two staff interpreters, located at the OCA headquarters office in Austin, provide a total of 40 hours a week of remote interpretation via telephone, video conference or VOIP.
These interpreters have passed stringent oral and written testing developed by the Consortium for State Court Interpreter Certification with the help of the National Center for State Courts, are experienced in Texas courtroom procedures, meet annual continuing education requirements, comply with the Licensed Court Interpreters Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, and receive ongoing training in family violence issues.
Juanita Ulloa (pronounced oo-YO-ah), is a licensed Texas court interpreter (license number 1525) and has been interpreting professionally since 2000. She has degrees in music from Yale University (BA) and from the University of California at Berkeley (MA) with an additional master's degree equivalent in legal interpreting from San Francisco State University, plus certificates in legal interpreting from the University of Arizona and Berlitz Interpreters in Mexico City, where she grew up. Her work experience includes Spanish interpreting in the district courts and county courts at law in Travis County, Austin Municipal Court, and county courts at law in Bexar County, as well as the superior courts in Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California. Additionally, she has done contract telephonic and on-site interpreting for the U.S. Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration (EOIR) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She currently teaches legal interpretation at Austin Community College.
Marco Hanson has interpreted professionally since 2000. He has degrees from the Air Force Academy (BS), and the University of Texas —Pan American (MA). He has interpreted for the military, US Citizenship and Immigration Services, law enforcement, insurance companies, courts, and a variety of other entities. He also teaches Spanish and legal translation courses at Austin Community College.
OCA Staff Interpreter Contact Information
Texas Remote Interpreter Project
Office of Court Administration
205 West 14th Street, Suite 700
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: (512) 463-5656 (direct) / (512) 463-1625 (main)
Fax: (512) 463-3413
Email: interpreter@txcourts.gov
Non-Spanish Language Interpretation Services
When services for languages other than Spanish are needed, remote interpretation is provided by a commercial interpretation service under contract with OCA. The commercial service provides interpretation over the telephone. (Note: these services are only available for civil cases, regardless of county size.)
Costs. The non-Spanish interpretation services are free to the court, and the commercial service will provide a toll-free number for the court to call.
Scheduling. Non-Spanish interpretation services are available during regular office hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday). The court must provide the required prehearing information on the AppointmentQuest scheduling program to receive an approval code. The court will then provide the approval code to the commercial service before utilizing the interpretation services. To ensure that OCA has time to process the request for these services, at least one business day's notice is recommended. If two or more interpreted proceedings are planned back-to-back, the court must obtain an approval code for each proceeding. If OCA staff are available to take the request, it may be possible to schedule an appointment on the date the services are needed. For more information, please click the "Non-Spanish--Schedule Appointment" button at the top of this webpage.
Courts with Internet access must use AppointmentQuest to submit the required prehearing information and obtain an approval code. AppointmentQuest can be accessed at: http://www.appointmentquest.com/provider/2150096234/login
Courts without Internet access should call the OCA staff interpreters, at (512) 463-5656, to schedule the interpretation services and obtain an approval code.
At the same time OCA provides the approval code, it will also provide the court with the phone number needed to contact the commercial interpretation service to schedule an appointment.
Hours of Service. Non-Spanish court interpretation services are available Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm CST.
Technical Requirements. To use the non-Spanish interpretation services, the court must have a full-duplex speakerphone available in the courtroom.
Qualifications The interpreters are not necessarily licensed by the state of Texas; however, they are screened, trained, qualified, and monitored through an internal program of the vendor. In counties with a population of 50,000 or more, the court must make a finding on the record that the commercial interpretation service is being used to interpret because there is no licensed interpreter available in that language within 75 miles who can interpret in the language that is necessary in the proceeding. (Tex. Gov't Code § 57.002).
Oath of Interpreter and Instructions for Participants:
Sample oath to administer to interpreter: "Do you solemnly swear that you will well and truly and to the best of your ability discharge the duties of interpreter and translate from English into Spanish, and from Spanish into English, such questions and answers as shall be put to the witness and received from the witness in the case now pending before the Court?"
Sample instructions for the judge to give to all participants: "We will be using a Spanish interpreter today who is at a remote site. The interpreter will communicate with [name of Spanish-speaking participant]. It is important to speak clearly and at a moderate speed so that our voices will be heard through the microphone located [place]. The interpretation will be consecutive so the speaker must pause every ten seconds or so. If we speak too fast or for too long, the interpreter will have to ask for repetitions to make sure [he/she] conveys the exact same information in the other language. Please direct all questions and statements to the Spanish-speaker rather than to the interpreter. For example, phrase the question as 'What is your marital status?' rather than as 'Ask her what her marital status is.' The interpreter will then speak from the perspective of the person for whom [he/ she] is interpreting."
Warnings - Recorded with Text:
Tex. Fam. Code Ch. 83 Temporary Ex Parte Protective Order 2011
Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 6.08 Victims of Crimes Motivated by Bias or Prejudice Protective Order (Permanent)
Tex. Fam. Code Title 4 Permanent Protective Order
Tex. Fam. Code § 85.005 Agreed Protective Order
Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.292 Magistrate's Order of Emergency Protection
Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 7A (Permanent) Sexual Assault Victim's Protective Order
Request for a Language Line Services Approval Code:
This project was supported by Grant No. 2010-WC-AX-K015 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.
Updated: 01-Aug-2012
