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District judges push a language access plan and additional court coordinators
Summary
Presiding district judges proposed a language access plan that would expand contract interpreters, add programmers/coordinators to automate reporting, and raise coordinator salaries and provide paid parking to improve retention and compliance with new reporting obligations.
Presiding Judge Latasha Payne told Commissioners Court the district judiciary has developed a language access plan to expand interpreter coverage across criminal, family and civil dockets and to add personnel for data and coordination. The proposal would increase interpreters to cover 35 criminal courts plus family and civil courts currently underserved, and it includes three additional county-funded staff focused on language-access data reporting and coordination.
Judge Payne said the plan also contemplates automation: a programmer would be needed to codify language-use fields so courts can comply with state reporting. On staffing and retention, Payne and Administrator Woods highlighted concern about court coordinator salaries and paid parking: coordinators received a 7% COLA, but starting pay gaps remain with neighboring counties. "We were the lowest paid starting point for coordinators," Payne said, and judges argued targeted career-ladder adjustments are needed to retain experienced coordinators who manage high-volume dockets. The court asked the budget office to consider funding the language access plan and coordinator adjustments as part of the FY25 package.
