CTC Ethics & Professional Responsibility 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A court interpreter receives a subpoena requiring them to disclose confidential attorney-client communications they interpreted. The interpreter should:
- Disclose everything since a subpoena overrides confidentiality
- Consult with an attorney and assert the privilege if applicable, as communications may be protected (Correct answer)
- Refuse to appear and cite interpreter ethics
- Contact the bar association before responding
Correct answer: Consult with an attorney and assert the privilege if applicable, as communications may be protected
Interpreter-facilitated attorney-client communications may be protected by privilege; legal counsel should be sought before disclosing.
Question 2: During a break, a victim approaches the court interpreter saying they are scared and asking for advice. The ethically correct response is to:
- Offer reassurance since it is compassionate and outside the proceeding
- Decline to provide advice and refer the victim to appropriate court personnel (Correct answer)
- Listen sympathetically but do not repeat anything said
- Tell the prosecutor about the victim's concerns
Correct answer: Decline to provide advice and refer the victim to appropriate court personnel
Interpreters must maintain impartiality and avoid any role that could be perceived as advocacy or counseling.
Question 3: A court interpreter notices that the defense counsel's question to the witness contains a misleading premise. The interpreter should:
- Interpret the question accurately as asked (Correct answer)
- Alert the court to the misleading nature of the question
- Rephrase the question to make it fair before interpreting
- Refuse to interpret the question
Correct answer: Interpret the question accurately as asked
The interpreter's role is to render speech accurately; objections to question form are the responsibility of opposing counsel.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of sight translation in court proceedings?
- To allow the interpreter to prepare answers for the witness
- To render a written document into spoken language for a party who cannot read the source language (Correct answer)
- To create an official written translation for the court record
- To replace certified written translations in urgent situations
Correct answer: To render a written document into spoken language for a party who cannot read the source language
Sight translation allows a non-English speaker to understand documents read aloud during proceedings by rendering them orally in real time.
Question 5: A court interpreter is fluent in Spanish but the defendant speaks Guatemalan Mam, a Mayan language. The interpreter should:
- Proceed by using Spanish since it is an official language of Guatemala
- Inform the court immediately that a different language interpreter is needed (Correct answer)
- Ask the defendant to respond in Spanish
- Use a bilingual family member present in the courtroom
Correct answer: Inform the court immediately that a different language interpreter is needed
Every defendant has a right to interpretation in their actual language; proceeding in an unintelligible language violates due process.
Question 6: Which standard governs the ethical conduct of federally certified court interpreters in U.S. district courts?
- ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
- Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary (Correct answer)
- ASTM F2089 Standard Guide for Language Interpretation
- Federal Rules of Evidence Article VII
Correct answer: Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary
The Code of Professional Responsibility for Interpreters in the Judiciary, adopted by many federal and state courts, is the primary ethical standard for court interpreters.
Question 7: A court interpreter is offered a gift by a grateful defendant's family after a successful acquittal. The interpreter should:
- Accept if the value is under $25
- Decline the gift to avoid any appearance of partiality or impropriety (Correct answer)
- Accept and report the gift to the court clerk
- Accept only non-monetary gifts
Correct answer: Decline the gift to avoid any appearance of partiality or impropriety
Accepting gifts from parties can create the appearance of partiality and is inconsistent with professional ethical standards.
CTC Ethics & Professional Responsibility 3
A court interpreter receives a subpoena requiring them to disclose confidential attorney-client communications they interpreted.
The interpreter should: