The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021 - 19

process, I continued holding
training sessions for judges
and other staff as more
courtrooms opened virtually.
By the end of April 2020,
several criminal courts were
operating virtually with a
skeleton crew (e.g., judicial
officer, clerk, and court
reporter), and, of course,
IT personnel were always
on standby. By mid-May
2020, the opening of virtual
courtrooms in the civil,
probate, and child support
divisions was expected to
occur. Several hiccups were
experienced during the
remote court proceedings,
but everyone remained
patient and cooperative
to make these remote
proceedings less painful.
My colleagues and I
acquired more skills
and proved essential
to the day-to-day
operations of the
judicial system.
My colleagues and I
continued to conduct test
meetings using separate
channels to provide
interpreting for witnesses
and defendants/litigants, to
practice team interpreting
and hand-over protocols,
and to exchange information
on best practices to make
everyone else's life easier.
There were times when
colleagues were still required
to interpret in person,
either because of technology
limitations or because
defendants requested to
appear in person at the
courthouse (something
they have a right to do).
www.ata-chronicle.online
In those cases, portable
interpreting equipment
(e.g., the Williams Sound
Digi Wave audio system)
was used at all times. This
was made possible thanks to
funds the Judicial Council of
California set aside to acquire
interpreting equipment when
the pandemic first began.
As a result, SBSC received
enough transceivers for each
interpreter to have their
own set (i.e., three for each
interpreter). Each transceiver
can transmit and receive
sound, which means the
attorney and the defendant
can speak into their own
device and interpreters can
hear it through their headset.
This made it possible for any
social distancing guidelines
to be respected while
maintaining attorney-client
confidentiality.
The Video Remote
Interpreting Experience:
A Year Later
VRI remains challenging for
court interpreters who aren't
used to this modality. It can
create fear and stress. It also
has its own disadvantages,
such as injuries due to
acoustic shock when sound
levels change abruptly,
eye strain (also known as
computer vision syndrome),
and very limited mobility for
the interpreter.
As of June 15, 2021,
California lifted more
restrictions on businesses.
Consequently, SBSC opened
its clerk's office and other
courtrooms, including
arraignment and other
criminal divisions, to
the public. Unvaccinated
individuals are still required
to wear masks inside the
buildings, as are employees
when in close proximity
to other people, and those
experiencing COVID-19
symptoms are asked to
remain at home. Stringent
cleaning and disinfecting
protocols are also in place.
Several court proceedings
are still being held via
the virtual courtrooms,
including family, small
claims, and civil divisions.
Some interpreters continue
to work on a flex-time basis:
morning proceedings in
person at the courthouse
and afternoon proceedings
remotely from home or at a
dedicated VRI station inside
the courthouse.
Despite the return to
in-person proceedings, VRI
might be here to stay, as it's
a good option for use in
NOTE
1
remote or rural communities,
or in jurisdictions where
courthouses are too far apart.
During the past year, we've
learned about many aspects
of this method of
interpreting, including
adapting to the use of
technology, learning new
protocols and best practices,
and real-life application. My
colleagues and I acquired
more skills and proved
essential to the day-to-day
operations of the judicial
system. Fortunately, we're
getting through this
pandemic and hopefully, one
day, we'll return to hopping
from courtroom to
courtroom. In the meantime,
I'm ready to tackle any VRI
assignment that may come
my way.
Jenner, Judy, and Tracy Young. " Adventures in Remote
Interpreting at a Rural Hospital, " The ATA Chronicle
(March/April 2016), http://bit.ly/Jenner-Young-RI.
Lorena Pike is an English>Spanish translator
specializing in law, accounting, finance, and
business and a state certified court interpreter
(Nevada and California). She is a staff interpreter
and interpreter/translator trainer at the Santa
Barbara Superior Court. She is the former program coordinator
and instructor for the Certificate of Achievement in Translation
and Interpreting at Santa Barbara City College. Her translation
work focuses on legal and business documents. She has a BS
in accounting with a specialization in taxation from the Escuela
Bancaria y Comercial and an MA in Spanish with an emphasis
in translation, technology, and Latin American culture. She is
a frequent speaker at conferences (e.g., ATA and the National
Association of Judiciary Interpreters and Translators) and has
participated in professional development events hosted by
the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association and the
California Federation of Interpreters. lpike@exetranslations.com
American Translators Association 19
http://www.bit.ly/Jenner-Young-RI http://www.ata-chronicle.online
The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The ATA Chronicle - July/August 2021
