Kentucky Court of Justice
Court interpreters to learn about criminal justice system at institute Oct. 16-18 in Frankfort

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Court interpreters from across the commonwealth and from Indiana will learn about the Kentucky criminal justice system and criminal law during an institute that is being presented Oct. 16-18 at the Administrative Office of the Courts in Frankfort. Approximately 50 court interpreters will participate in the Institute for Court Interpreters. The AOC and Street Law Inc. are sponsoring the institute. 

Institute participants include interpreters of American Sign Language and Spanish and interpreters of other spoken languages. They will learn how knowledge of the criminal justice system and criminal law will enhance their ability to interpret for clients in the court system.

This type of training is a first in the area of court interpreting nationally.

Kentucky interpreters who will participate in the institute are from Barren, Boone, Boyle, Carroll, Daviess, Fayette, Franklin, Hardin, Jefferson, Kenton, Laurel, Madison and Warren counties. Interpreters from Indiana are from the cities of Borden and Jeffersonville.

In addition to an overview of the Kentucky criminal justice system and criminal law, institute sessions will cover arrest, search and seizure, interrogations and confessions, pretrial proceedings, the trial process, and appeals, sentencing and corrections. The interpreters will participate in a mock trial.

The sessions will be held in the Building 12 conference room at the AOC, which is located at 100 Millcreek Park in Frankfort.

Assisting with the training are Vice Chief Regional District Court Judge Jerry D. Crosby (serves Oldham, Henry and Trimble counties), Senior Judges Julia Hylton Adams and William G. Hart, attorney Ryan Newcomb, Kentucky State Police Trooper Ronald Turley, Street Law Deputy Director Judy Zimmer and Deborah Foster of Street Law.  

The goal of the workshop is to go beyond the normal training for court interpreters, which includes extensive vocabulary and language training, and work toward developing a cadre of professional court interpreters with in-depth knowledge of the Kentucky court system and legal processes. The AOC Division of Court Interpreting Services thinks that other states may want to adopt the training model as the division continues its long-standing and robust partnership with Street Law. The division also anticipates expanding on the topics presented at the institute with future workshops that delve deeper into issues related to the court system.

Street Law Inc.
Street Law Inc., which is based in Washington, offers a variety of interactive education programs designed to teach citizens about the foundational principles of constitutional democracy, law and legal proceedings. Programs include curriculum models such as Community Works, Corporate Legal Diversity Pipeline, Juvenile Justice and the Supreme Court Institute for Teachers.

For more than two decades, the Kentucky Court of Justice has partnered with Street Law in many capacities, including implementation of a nationally renowned juvenile justice diversion program in the state court system’s Court Designated Worker program. Judges, educators and professionals in other disciplines are responsible for helping to build the Court of Justice’s strong partnership with Street Law.  

Many Kentuckians have participated in Street Law’s Supreme Court Summer Institute. Nationally, the institute has brought together more than 800 teachers from across the country to convene in Washington for six days of educational activities related to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Administrative Office of the Courts
The AOC supports the activities of 3,800 Kentucky Court of Justice employees, including the elected offices of justices, judges and circuit court clerks. As the fiscal agent for the state court system, the AOC prepares a biennial budget draft and executes the Judicial Branch budget.