Story & Photo by Acacia Rodriguez

It takes more than being multilingual to thrive as a Court Interpreter in the New York City Unified Court System.

Local 1070 represents members in the District Attorneys’ Offices, the Department of Probation, and Public Administrator offices. Within these agencies, Court Interpreters translate languages for the County Clerk Offices, and Criminal, Civil, Supreme, Surrogate, and Family courts. Translating accurately, either consecutively or simultaneously, is one of many key skills interpreters must demonstrate.

“I’ve developed the skill to listen and speak at the same time,” said Maribel Padilla, a 20-year New York State Spanish Language Court Interpreter. “Someone will start talking, and I can speak as they’re speaking with a five- to 10-second lag between what they said.”

Padilla believes language access is fundamental to due process. If someone cannot fully understand what’s being said or shown in court, or cannot express themselves, the justice process breaks down. Misinterpreting changes everything, and it’s a responsibility she has a personal stake in getting right.

“I’m a child of immigrants who grew up interpreting for my parents, watching them navigate systems that weren’t necessarily built or meant for them,” Padilla said. “So this is something innate I’ve done my whole life.”

Yuri Orozco, a certified Spanish Interpreter who has worked at King’s County Criminal Court for nine years, brings her past experience into her current role. Orozco, whose family member was formerly incarcerated, remembers her time visiting Rikers Island and navigating the Metropolitan Detention Center System and upstate prisons as a child.

“I have empathy for the client I’m interpreting for as well as the community that’s waiting on justice to be served because something allegedly was done to them,” Orozco said. “I empathize with both groups, and I’m grateful that I’m able to do what I do.”

The Court Interpreters Act of 1978 grants individuals with limited English proficiency involved in court proceedings the right to be assigned a certified court interpreter. After the 2020 wave of immigration from Central and South America, interpreters noted the increase in clients who speak Quechua, Kichwa, or a dialect of Spanish. Finding an interpreter who speaks the required language takes time, and the client may have to wait in jail until one is available.

Lionel Bajaña, a retired Senior Court Interpreter who worked in the Bronx Criminal Court, underscores that clients must be able to understand and participate in a process that may change the rest of their lives. It can be distressing not only for the client but also for the interpreter.

“We speak as if we were the person who is speaking in the other language, and some testimony can have very graphic descriptions of crimes,” he said. “Psychologically, we suffer from vicarious trauma because we relive the event with the client, saying ‘I got shot,’ ‘I was stabbed.’”

As one of the main issues affecting retention, Local 1070 has previously prioritized education on how to decompress during the state’s holiday furlough court recess. For two paid days at the end of the year, Local 1070 Renee Belmar, with member feedback gathered by the executive board, organizes a series of tailored training sessions for the most highlighted issues. Local 1070 members interested in a specific workshop topic, such as handling vicarious trauma, should visit bit.ly/1070training.

The most important role court interpreters have is to translate accurately and respectfully on all sides. Just as necessary as legal aid attorneys and court officers, their essential role ensures everyone involved in the legal process understands what’s happening and can tell their side of the story.

This article originally appeared in the April-June 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.