Court interpreters critical of pay 'raise'

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

The state judiciary yesterday set a new fee schedule for court interpreters, but a spokeswoman for the workers criticized it for not taking effect until the second half of the fiscal year, and said it will not mean more pay for most interpreters.

Under the new schedule, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2004, interpreters will be paid $50 for the first two hours, and $25 for each additional hour. Interpreters who are certified — holding credentials such as those required of federal court interpreters — will be paid $75 for the first two hours and $37.50 for each additional hour.

All state court interpreters now receive a half-day flat rate of $50 for trials and $40 for other assignments.

Court officials had asked the Legislature for an annual allotment of $182,000 to pay for interpreter raises but received only half that amount. Rick Keller, newly appointed courts administrative director, approved delaying the change for six months to help make up for the shortfall, said Dew Kaneshiro, project director for the judiciary's Office on Equality and Access to the Courts.

The Interpreter Action Network, a group of about 60 members, has been lobbying for a raise for nearly a year. More recently, the group has protested that the new schedule, devised by the Supreme Court Committee on Certification of Court Interpreters, does not offer more money for most workers because most jobs do not take more than two hours and only a few are certified.

Action Network spokes-woman Alohalani Boido, a Spanish interpreter, said members are "disappointed" with the delay to Jan. 1.

"This is consistent with their pattern of delay," Boido said, adding that "the judiciary will have trouble retaining competent interpreters."

Kaneshiro said that by January, the judiciary needs to assign a staff member to manage scheduling and payment, and find ways to offer certification to interpreters.

Reach Vicki Viotti at vviotti@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8053.