Courts see more Spanish speakers but lack translators
By Leah Rupp
leah.rupp@clarionledger.com

In the four years she’s been a Justice Court judge, Nicki Boland has seen a dramatic change in Hinds County’s demographics.

More and more Spanish-speaking people are turning up in the courtroom, she said — many of them without any background in English and little understanding of legal proceedings in the United States.

In response, Boland said, “We need to hire someone who is bilingual at the very least. “Everyone has a right to understand the charges that have been brought against them... and I can’t move forward unless I know that they do.â€