Criminal Defense of Immigrants

(B)  Payment of Interpreter.  Because the client has a constitutional or statutory right to an interpreter, the court must appoint an interpreter at public expense as is the case with any other expert.  The court should provide an interpreter for all defendants, indigent or not.  Even if the client has sufficient funds to hire an attorney, or the family retains private counsel, the client may lack sufficient funds to hire an interpreter, and counsel must apply to the court for appointment of an interpreter at public expense.  In rare cases, it may be possible to find a volunteer interpreter with the sufficient expertise and qualifications to serve.