Court Interpreters Advisory Panel

In accordance with rule 10.51 of the California Rules of Court, the eleven membership positions of the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel include: one appellate court justice; two superior court judges; two court administrators, including at least one trial court executive officer; four certified or registered court interpreters working as employees in the trial courts, one from each of the four regions established by California Government Code section 71807; and two interpreters certified or registered in a language other than Spanish, each working either in a trial court as an independent contractor or in an educational institution. The Chief Justice may also appoint nonmember advisors to assist the advisory panel. Members are appointed by the Chief Justice for a three-year term.

Members

• Hon. Brian L. McCabe, Chair, Judge, Superior Court of Merced County
• Hon. Maurice Sanchez, Vice-Chair, Associate Justice, Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three
• Ms. Stephanie Cameron, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Tulare County
• Mr. Hany Farag, Certified Court Interpreter (Arabic), Independent Contractor
• Mr. Bryan Kritzeck, Certified Court Interpreter (American Sign Language), Region 4, Superior Court of Riverside County
• Ms. Mary Ma, Certified Court Interpreter (Mandarin), Region 2, Superior Court of Santa Clara County
• Ms. M. Luisa McEwen, Certified Court Interpreter (Portuguese), Independent Contractor 
• Mr. José Navarrete, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Region 1, Superior Court of Santa Barbara County
• Hon. Michael P. Pulos, Judge, Superior Court of San Diego County
• Ms. Anabel Z. Romero, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of San Bernardino County

Advisors

• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Independent Contractor

• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County

• Ms. Shirley Luo, Program Manager, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence

Judicial Council Staff to the Committee

• Mr. Ray Mata (Analyst), Judicial Council of California

Interpreter Language Access Subcommittee

• Ms. Anabel Z. Romero, Chair, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of San Bernardino Count
• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Independent Contractor
• Ms. Stephanie Cameron, Court Executive Officer, Superior Court of Tulare County
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Mr. Hany Farag, Certified Court Interpreter (Arabic), Independent Contractor
• Mr. Bryan Kritzeck, Certified Court Interpreter (American Sign Language), Region 4, Superior Court of Riverside County
• Ms. Shirley Luo, Program Manager, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence
• Mr. José Navarrete, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Region 1, Superior Court of Santa Barbara County
• Hon. Michael P. Pulos, Judge, Superior Court of San Diego County

Professional Standards and Ethics Subcommittee

• Hon. Maurice Sanchez, Chair, Associate Justice, Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division Three
• Ms. Angie Birchfield, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Independent Contractor
• Ms. Jennifer De La Cruz, Interpreter Services Manager, Superior Court of San Bernardino County
• Mr. Bryan Kritzeck, Certified Court Interpreter (American Sign Language), Region 4, Superior Court of Riverside County
• Ms. M. Luisa McEwen, Certified Court Interpreter (Portuguese), Independent Contractor
• Mr. José Navarrete, Certified Court Interpreter (Spanish), Region 1, Superior Court of Santa Barbara County

Rule 10.51 of the California Rules of Court states that the charge of the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel is to assist the Judicial Council with performing its duties under Government Code sections 68560 through 68566, and to promote access to spoken-language interpreters and interpreters for deaf and hearing-impaired persons. To carry out this charge, the committee reviews and makes recommendations to the council on:
 

1. Interpreter use and need in court proceedings;
2. The certification, registration, testing, recruiting, training, continuing education and professional conduct of court interpreters; and,
3. The findings of the language need and interpreter use study for interpreters in California court proceedings that is conducted by the council every five years pursuant to Government Code section 68563.

May of 1978, after a comprehensive survey of the language needs of California citizens, the enactment of AB 2400 made California the first state to mandate court interpreter services and testing of interpreter skills and competency. In January 1993, the Legislature required the council to certify and register court interpreters and adopt standards and requirements for interpreter education. (Sen. Bill 1304; Stats. 1992, ch. 770.) At the same time, the Legislature also created the court interpreters' fund, and mandated data collection and periodic study of language use and interpreter need in California.

As a result of SB 1304, the Chief Justice appointed the Court Interpreters Advisory Panel as a new Judicial Council standing advisory committee. The Court Interpreters Advisory Panel is unique in that a majority of the voting members must be court interpreters.

California has the largest pool of certified and registered interpreters in the country. There are over 1,700 certified and or registered interpreters currently on the council's Master List of Certified Court Interpreters and Registered Interpreters.