Journal Staff
For individuals navigating the legal system in a language they don’t fully understand, interpreters play a vital role in ensuring justice.
The Judiciary of Guam’s Court Interpreter Registry Program provides interpreters in 19 languages, but shortages persist, particularly for rare languages like provincial Filipino dialects and Samoan.
The top 10 languages served include Chuukese, Tagalog, Pohnpeian, Korean, Mandarin, Yapese, Kosraean, Palauan, Japanese, and Russian. Interpreters can be requested for specific needs by contacting the Judiciary.
“We interpret only what we hear,” said David Welle, language assistance program manager for the Judiciary of Guam. “In our Code of Professional Conduct for Interpreters, we don’t interpret gestures, explain, direct, or advise. What we hear is what we interpret. And we don’t interpret word for word — we interpret meaning for meaning.”
Welle said interpreters often face linguistic challenges, especially with legal terminology. “For example, in Chuukese, we don’t have a high-register word for ‘vehicle,’ but we might have a term for ‘ride’ or ‘transportation.’ As long as the meaning is there, then it’s accurate interpretation.”
Court interpreters make interlingual communication possible. They provide aid to foreign individuals to communicate in a judicial environment. Court interpreters interpret from English to the source language of the person with LEP (Limited English Proficiency) and from the source language back into English for the record. Interpreters are also available for American Sign Language.
Michelle Kramer, a former registered court interpreter shared her experiences translating for the Marshallese community in Guam. Although she no longer actively works as an interpreter, Kramer explained how her role developed over the years.
Kramer, who primarily translated documents rather than interpreting in court, worked under a program initiated before the COVID-19 pandemic, which included training led by then-Attorney General Elizabeth Barrett Anderson.
“I translate Marshallese to English,” she said. “I was doing some of the translation documents for the public defender.”
Although she stepped away from court interpreting, Kramer continues to offer translation services informally as a way of supporting the community. She said, “It was kind of a community service. If anybody needs a translation done, I now just pass it on to a translator in the Marshalls, or I’ll try my best to just translate it and give it back to them.”
A U.S. Air Force senior master sergeant who once served as a court interpreter in Guam is looking to return to the role after a nearly decade-long hiatus. Paul Alfred, originally from the Marshall Islands, began interpreting for the Judiciary of Guam in 2013 after earning certification through the CIRP. “I started interpreting for The Judiciary of Guam back in March of 2013 after I passed the Court Interpreter Registry Program exam and received my certificate,” he said.
Alfred’s service as an interpreter ended in 2016 when he received permanent change of station orders to leave Guam. While stationed in Germany, he continued translating documents for a time, but ultimately paused his work due to the complexities of handling foreign taxes.
“Even though I stopped interpreting, I still believe that this program is very important and needs to continue, because procedural fairness and equality before the law is hard to achieve without fair representation for folks that can’t speak or understand the English language,” Alfred said.
Now stationed in South Korea, Alfred is set to move to Hawaii later this year and plans to renew his business license to support the Marshallese community. “My plan is to renew my business license there and jump back to court interpreting in order to assist the Marshallese community in the Aloha State,” he said.
Alfred also credited Barrett Anderson for launching the Judiciary of Guam’s interpreter program, describing her as “somebody that wants to ensure that everyone has access to equal justice.”
“She was very passionate about the program in order to remove language barriers that lead to unfairness in The Judiciary of Guam,” he said.
The CIRP manages a pool of more than 100 registered interpreters, who are independent contractors earning $28 an hour. These interpreters assist not only the Judiciary of Guam but also other government agencies and private entities.
“Court cases can’t move on unless there’s an interpreter,” Welle said, emphasizing that the right to interpretation is grounded in federal law and constitutional guarantees for a fair trial.
The Judiciary actively recruits interpreters, requiring applicants to pass a background check, complete a two-day training, and demonstrate proficiency in English and another language. Training includes courtroom procedures and the three modes of interpreting: consecutive, simultaneous, and sight translation.
Qualifications also include being 18 years of age or older and no prior felonies. After passing a skills test, interpreters are sworn in and assigned to cases. “We start them off with smaller tasks like magistrate hearings, which are almost scripted, before moving them to trials,” Welle said.
Karma Halbert, a full-time language assistant technician with the Judiciary of Guam, reflected on her journey interpreting Chuukese. “I started as a contractor in 2014 while studying at UOG. At one point, I kept telling myself, ‘If I don’t help here, who will?’ This work is important, and it helped me support my small family.”
“Interpreting can be mentally exhausting,” said Israel Yoshinobu, a language assistant specialist for the Judiciary of Guam. Yoshinobu has worked as an interpreter of Chuukese since 2013. “It’s very stressful. At the end of the day, I’d just sleep. But over time, I got used to it, and now it feels easier,” he said.
Despite the challenges, interpreters like Yoshinobu recognize the impact of their work. “You have people who didn’t understand half of what was happening in court. Now they do.”
The CIRP’s role extends beyond the courtroom. Requests for interpreters come from agencies like public health, the governor’s office, and even courts in other jurisdictions. Recently, Welle received a call from Idaho requesting a CHamoru interpreter.
“Interpreters here are trained by us but work with many organizations,” Welle said. “They’re teachers, business owners, even a cashier from Happy Mart. It’s a community service, and it’s essential.”
For those interested in joining, applications can be submitted online to dwelle@guamcourts.gov or in person at the Judiciary of Guam in Hagåtña. Welle encourages applications. He said, “If you speak a second language, you can help the court and the community. It’s a meaningful way to make a difference.” mbj