Illegal immigrant crime increase need for translators in court

Peter Bronson:

Mam is one of 23 Amerindian dialects in Guatemala, along with Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, Garifuna and Xinca. It's also a muy grande headache for Hamilton County.

When an illegal immigrant from Guatemala was charged with sexual battery and rape, Common Pleas Judge Patrick Dinkelacker had to bring in two interpreters to translate English and courtroom lawyer Latin to Spanish, then translate the Spanish to Mam.

Even a few years ago, interpreters were rare in his courtroom, Dinkelacker said. "Now it's every couple of weeks. We're being inundated."

Translators have been hired for Russian, French, Hindi and Fulani, a dialect in Guinea. But 70 percent of the demand is Spanish, said Pretrial Services Director Wendy Niehaus, who assigns translators.

Some defendants speak English fluently to police and lawyers, but then demand an interpreter in court. And most who get translators are illegals. "I've not seen a legal, to be honest," Dinkelacker said.

The need for translators in the county's 14 municipal and 16 common pleas courts is "incredible," said Bob Schoenfeld of the Common Pleas administrator's office. "There have been a lot of questions raised as to how valid the needs are, but the courts have no choice."

Municipal Court Administrator Andy Gillen cited state law: "Whenever because of a hearing, speech or other impairment a party to or witness in a legal proceeding cannot readily understand or communicate, the court shall appoint a qualified interpreter to assist such person."

Gillen convinced the county to hire one fulltime and a few part-time interpreters to translate Spanish. The county has been paying $37 per hour to private translators.

Last year, that cost $153,500. This year, translator bills will hit $200,000. Gillen's plan will save $35,000 a year, he hopes.

In dollars, $200,000 is not Quiche. But it's only a small down payment on the costs of illegal immigration.

And that has many Americans ready to join the Minuteman border-patrol posse. Legal immigration is healthy and good for our region. We're all immigrants. But illegal immigration is flooding us like a broken levee. It's not just costly. Wide-open borders are hazardous in a war on terrorism. Dinkelacker said one of his recent defendants was wanted by Homeland Security.

Making taxpayers hire interpreters to prosecute illegals is harder to swallow than habanero salsa. But it's just a small taste of the way the ingredients are changing in our regional recipe.

Here's another: Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones is billing the feds $71,000 for illegals in his crowded jail.

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