Legal Interpreting | Courtroom Interpreters
When you’re in the interpreting services business, what you say is always important. Such was the case in Syracuse, New York where a court interpreter named Nancy Rodriguez Walker was charged with perjury during the murder trial of Emilier Carrasquillo-Fuentes and for leaking classified information to the grand jury.
The Rodriguez Case
Rodriguez is accused of revealing descriptions of witness testimonies from Michael and Alba Fuentes to the prosecutor, Ezequiel Neuman. Neuman was previously convicted last November for accepting $5,000 and cocaine in exchange for bribing a witness. At Rodriguez’s trial, she pleaded not-guilty to the charges of perjury and was subsequently released on her own recognizance. However, Judge Thomas Miller has upheld the charges against her for grand jury disclosure and she is set for another trial on August 19th of this year.
Speculation arises when we ask why the judge discarded the perjury charges against Rodriguez when no clear verdict was reached. Since Rodriguez along with her attorneys have made public statements regarding her release by recognizance, a possible explanation is that the prosecution believed the charges for perjury were not strong enough to hold up in court. Perhaps it could be that Judge Miller did not think that Rodriguez’s inconsistencies with her sworn statement to police officials and her testimony in court were not intentionally misleading.
Code of Ethics | Courtroom Interpreters
Ethics come to play heavily in situations such as these. It is the interpreter’s duty to abide by the law and give a faithful interpretation of a witness’ testimony. Corruption in the legal system is not unheard of, but it does bring about some uncertainties in the American justice system. Can we trust the legal system to prevail and for legal representatives to abide by their integrity and bring criminals to justice? If corrupt bureaucrats such as this can be swiftly released on bail, what hope is there that an impartial system is truly fair and allows justice to prevail? Attorneys need to be very careful in choosing the type of interpreter who exudes a sense of professionalism in their job.
Courtroom Interpreters
It is the duty of an interpreter to be unbiased and impartial and to perform their duty to the best of their ability. Otherwise, one fails to be a credible source. Words carry great weight, so much so that even one mistranslated word can have great consequences. That is why when finding a suitable interpreter for a court case it is important to enlist someone that is trustworthy, has in-depth knowledge of the law and can abide by a strong code of ethics to properly carry out their mission statement. It is clear from Neuman’s past discrepancies with the law, that he was not the type of attorney who has strong moral value and sentimentality. Rodriguez’s dealings with him show that she also shares this lack of moral aptitude. So the next time you’re looking for an interpreter, make sure that their loyalties lie only with upholding justice.
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