Commissioners approve interpreter costs and court-related claims including mental-health evaluation

County commissioners approved payment authorizations for court-related interpreter expenses and other judiciary claims, including interpreter coverage for a two-week Superior Court jury trial and payment for a three-day termination-of-parental-rights (TPR) interpreter claim.

A Superior Court judge (unnamed in the record) explained that state rules require certified interpreters and, for long matters like a two-week jury trial, the court must engage two interpreters; costs include day rates, equipment, travel, hotels and mileage. The judge told commissioners a three-day TPR interpreter claim had been submitted for about $8,000 and that Superior Court anticipated a longer, higher-cost jury trial that would need additional funding.

Commissioners voted to approve the requested interpreter payments for both circuit (the three-day claim) and the Superior Court need; the motions carried. Commissioners also approved a $175 mental-health evaluation claim (clerical note: transcript lists the bill as $17.50 or $17.50; presenter clarified it was a routine mental-health evaluation billing and asked for payment so the doctor could be paid). The judge and county staff explained that competency and insanity evaluations typically require multiple clinicians and higher costs when ordered.

Why it matters: court interpreter and forensic-evaluation costs are required by law for non–English-speaking defendants or proceedings; the county is obligated to cover these expenses when the law requires them.

End note: Commissioners asked staff to budget and plan for recurring interpreter needs when preparing future budgets.