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Spanish speakers are busy in court
Chesterfield Hispanic population is up; so is need for translators
BY MEREDITH BONNY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Sunday, July 16, 2006


Noemi Marquez scans the Chesterfield County traffic-court docket for Spanish-sounding last names, highlighting "Benavides" and "Lopez" with a yellow marker.

A number of Hispanics wait inside the crowded courtroom. Some family members rock babies and entertain toddlers on benches outside. Many don't speak English.

"A few years ago, I very seldom was in court. Now, I am in court everyday," Marquez said. "Usually I am running between two and three courtrooms. I go to A, and when they don't need me anymore, I run back to C."

Marquez, a state-certified Spanish interpreter, is one of a half-dozen interpreters used by the Chesterfield court system. They assist Spanish-speaking defendants facing charges ranging from traffic infractions to murder.

"You don't want to send someone to jail because of poor interpretation," she said.

Chesterfield court officials say the increasing need for interpreters is a result of more Hispanics moving to Chesterfield and driving illegally.

In 2000, Hispanics represented 2.9 percent of Chesterfield's population, according to the Census Bureau. Four years later, a survey update said the figure had risen to 4.2 percent, or 11,800 residents.

The greatest need for translators is in General District Court, where dozens of Hispanics filter through Chesterfield's traffic court every week.

"The volume has gotten to the point that we need an interpreter here all day, every day," said General District Court Clerk Carlton Hudson.

Ten years ago, interpreters rarely were needed, he said. But "I don't know of a day in the last four or five years that we haven't needed one."

Most of the Hispanics who come to Chesterfield courts have been charged with driving without a license, because they are in the country illegally and cannot get one. District Court does not have the authority to enforce immigration laws, Hudson said.

Such was the case with Jose Benavides. The 23-year-old painter pleaded guilty Wednesday to driving without a license and speeding. He was ordered to pay a $248 fine.

Frightened, Benavides brought his Spanish-speaking boss, Nelson Roque, to court with him. Benavides did not know Marquez would be there to help him, and he was relieved to see her.

"I knew I was going to be OK," he told her in Spanish.

Roque, who owns a painting company in Chesterfield, said he is glad the court system provides interpreters such as Marquez. "I think it's great to have someone here when you can't speak English."

But he questioned why Hispanics have to pay fines and go to court for driving without a license.

"I don't think it's fair to have to pay such a high fine," Roque said. "These people know how to drive, but they can't get a license because they are illegal."

Local defense attorney Mary Adams said Marquez and other interpreters are vital to the court system.

"She helps get them where they need to go," Adams said. "She holds their hands."

Cristina M. Rebeil, a Legal Aid Justice Center lawyer, praised the difficult work interpreters do but warned that the job occasionally can have disastrous results.

"All the judge has is what the interpreter said," Rebeil said, adding that some interpreters are not properly trained but still are used because no one else is available.

The center provides legal help to low-income families and immigrant workers throughout central Virginia.

"I am very concerned," Rebeil said. "There is the possibility of making a mistake and switching one word. There's nobody checking."

The state Supreme Court certifies court interpreters and maintains a code of conduct for them. But not all Spanish interpreters working in the court system are certified, and they are not required to be.

A certified court interpreter is paid $60 an hour by the state. An uncertified interpreter is paid $40 an hour.

Last year, the state Supreme Court spent about $3.4 million on interpreters, with about 93 percent going to Spanish interpreters.

Juan Santacoloma, Chesterfield's Hispanic liaison, said many Hispanics move to Chesterfield because job opportunities are plentiful and the cost of living is relatively low.

"They also find people who speak Spanish in government agencies," he said.

Marquez, 51, who is from Peru, taught herself English by watching television and reading books. She became a U.S. citizen in 1990.

"I came here for the American dream," she said.


Contact staff writer Meredith Bonny at mbonny@timesdispatch.com or (804) 649-6452.