Committee to Improve Interpreting and Translation in the Wisconsin Courts
Appointed by the director of state courts, this committee is charged with making recommendations to improve the quality and availability of court interpreters in Wisconsin's state and municipal courts.
Mandate of the committee
Identify, document, and prioritize interpreting and translation issues, concerns, and opportunities in Wisconsin state and municipal courts.
Draft policies and practices for implementation by the Court Interpreter Program that will have measurable, tangible benefits for Wisconsin courts and Limited English Proficient (LEP) court users.
Discuss potential changes in statute and court rule to respond to federal and state mandates.
Serve in an advisory capacity to the Director of State Courts on interpreter related issues, including efforts undertaken in conjunction with the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) Council of Language Access Coordinators (Council). Collect data from Wisconsin courts and distribute Council and other interpreting related information and materials to court interpreting personnel as needed.
Develop recommendations concerning educational programs for judges, clerks, attorneys, interpreters, and other stakeholders.
Examine current and emerging technology and related costs to determine what would serve the needs of Wisconsin courts and could be integrated with existing technology systems to improve access to qualified language services.
Develop methods and materials to foster general public and governmental understanding of the need for quality interpreting and translation in the court system and to promote financial support needed to continue to provide such services.
Review policies, rules, and programs in other state court systems to identify those measures potentially beneficial in the Wisconsin Courts.
Committee membership
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Hon. Maureen Boyle (Chair) | Barron County Circuit Court |
| Hon. Timothy Hinkfuss | Brown County Circuit Court |
| Mr. Louis Moore | District Court Administrator, 2nd Judicial Administrative District |
| Hon. Jason Hanson | Deforest and Windsor Municipal Court/Dane County Court Commissioner |
| Ms. Jacqueline Thachenkary | Milwaukee County Court Interpreter Coordinator |
| Mr. Sam Christensen | Racine County Clerk of Court |
| Comm. Linda Saafir | Waukesha County Circuit Court |
| Ms. Fayme Filipiak | Dane County Courthouse Spanish Interpreter |
| Mr. Mike Mafuci | Certified Deaf Interpreter |
| Ms. Klara Gercaliu | International Institute |
Meetings are held twice a year in Madison.
For more information on this committee, contact Alexandra Wirth in the Office of Court Operations at (608) 266-8635.
For more information on court interpreting visit the court services for interpreters section of the site.