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Civil Procedure; Counties and County Commissioners Courts; Purchasing and Contracts; Courts and Judges; Criminal Procedure

JC-0584

Texas Attorney General Opinion

Interpreters, a court clerk who merely converses with a defendant in a language other than English does not act as a court interpreter and does not commit an offense under chapter 57 of the Government Code|Interpreters, if there is no interpreter licensed to interpret in a particular language under chapter 57 of the Government Code, the appointment of an unlicensed person may be within a court's inherent power|Interpreters for defendants who do not speak English, chapter 57 of the Government Code establishes qualifications for spoken-language interpreters appointed in criminal cases under the authority of article 38.30 of the Code of Criminal Procedure|Interpreters, a county may not require a court to select an interpreter from an interpreter service under contract with the county, although a court may choose to do so|Court interpreters, a county may not require a court to select an interpreter from an interpreter service under contract with the county, although a court may choose to do so|Court interpreters, the licensing provisions of Government Code chapter 57 do not affect a court's authority under the Rules of Civil Procedure and the Civil Practice and Remedies Code to fix an interpreter's compensation and to direct how an interpreter

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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.