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 |
|---|---|
| Judge Carolina Stark (Chair) | Circuit Court Judge, Milwaukee County |
| Judge Rian Radtke | Circuit Court Judge, Trempealeau County |
| Judge John Manydeeds | Circuit Court Judge, Eau Claire County |
| Judge Emily Lonergan | Circuit Court Judge, Outagamie County |
| Commissioner John Mueller | Deputy Family Court Commissioner, Racine County |
| Mr. Samuel Christensen | Supreme Court Clerk |
| Ms. Sharon Millermon | Clerk of Circuit Court, Barron County |
| Ms. Carrie Wastlick | Clerk of Circuit Court, Sauk County |
| Mr. Louis Moore | District Court Administrator, District 2 |
| Atty. Megan L. Sprecher | Community Member |
| Ms. Natalie Nguyen | Interpreter Coordinator, Milwaukee County |
| Ms. Christina Green | Certified Spanish Interpreter |
| Ms. Katherine Block | Certified ASL Interpreter |
| Mr. Eduardo "Leo" Martin | Certified Spanish Interpreter |
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.