Please refer to "Court Language Access Services - Oregon Judicial Department Statutory Payment Authority," below, for a list of court matters that Court Language Access Services can provide interpreters for.
Per
ORS 45.275 no fee shall be charged to any Limited English Proficient person for the appointment of an interpreter. Court interpreting in circuit court shall be paid by the state.
Court Language Access Services - Oregon Judicial Department Statutory Payment Authority
The OJD has statutory authority to provide interpreting services for the following
Foreign Spoken-Language Interpreters situations:
- In court for criminal cases and civil cases for limited English proficient parties, witnesses and victims
- At the public court counter or by telephone to communicate with OJD staff
- Mandatory court arbitration proceedings
- Mediation sessions for court-run programs or at non-court-run mediation sessions taken as a mandated alternative under local court rules
- Juror orientation
- Citizen Review Board hearings
- OJD court-run, funded and staffed programs and pilot programs
- Victims
Sign and American Sign Language Interpreters:
- All of the above
- Public accommodations covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act
- Jurors for grand jury service and deliberations, and trial court jury service and deliberations.
The OJD does not have authority to provide and pay for interpreting services for the following (not inclusive) list. Please contact the service provider or personnel of those agencies directly to request services:
- Jail personnel to communicate with inmates
- Jail inmate to see nurse, doctor, or any other purpose while in jail
- Services to children and families supervised visits
- Diversion program services
- Victims' panels
- Anger management counseling
- Probation interviews
- Pre-sentence Investigation examinations (PSIs)
- Grand jury witnesses
- Parenting classes
Trial Court Rules for Scheduling Interpreters
7.060 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Accomodation
(1) If special accommodation under the ADA is needed for an individual in a court proceeding, the party needing accommodation for the individual must notify the court in the manner required by the court as soon as possible, but no later than four judicial days in advance of the proceeding. For good cause shown, the court may waive the four-day advance notice.
7.070 Foreign Language Interpreters
(1) If a foreign language interpreter is needed for a court proceeding, the party in need of an interpreter must notify the court as soon as possible, but no later than four judicial days in advance of the proceeding. For good cause shown, the court may waive the four-day advance notice.
Multnomah County
For
Multnomah County, there is an additional Supplemental Local Rule (SLR),
SLR 7.071, requiring that the parties (or their attorneys) contact Court Language Access Services (CLAS) directly with interpreter requests.
The SLR requires that prior to each proceeding for which an interpreter is needed, the party:
- Must contact the CLAS office for Multnomah County;
- Must update the CLAS office promptly upon learning of a cancellation or shortened or lengthened time frame.