Rule Petition 24-02: Interpreters in Municipal Court Proceedings

We filed comments with the Wisconsin Supreme Court supporting a proposed new rule which would require that interpreters be provided to non-English speakers in all municipal court proceedings.

The ACLU of Wisconsin offers its strong support for the proposed rule to require language interpreters to be provided in all proceedings in municipal courts.

Ensuring access to language interpretation in municipal courts is essential for the fair administration of justice for several key reasons:

1. Interpreters are essential to ensuring that persons with limited English proficiency have access to justice in municipal courts.
2. Municipal court proceedings have real impact on lives.
3. Ad hoc methods to assist individuals with limited English proficiency do not guarantee justice.

Providing interpreters is not only a matter of fairness, but it is also essential to upholding the integrity of our legal system and ensuring that justice is truly accessible to all individuals, regardless of the language they speak.

On December 17, 2024, we provided testimony before the Supreme Court of Wisconsin on this matter.