[Court Interpreter] 3, Staying in Role: Impartiality, Confidentiality, Scope

Lesson three of the free Quibank Court Interpreter course: staying in role. Canon One made you a conduit; the other canons keep you one — impartiality, confidentiality, and the scope of your practice. Impartiality starts before the hearing does. You are assigned to a trial and recognize the defendant — you interpreted for him last year at a police interrogation.

Keep quiet, since you can be fair? No. You disclose the prior involvement to the judge, on the record. The judge decides whether it matters — not you, and not the attorneys.

Impartiality also means no opinions and no rewards. When the prosecutor asks at recess whether the witness seemed truthful, you decline — interpreters never give opinions on credibility. And when the grateful family offers an envelope of cash after the verdict, you decline that too. Even the appearance of a reward compromises the role, and the case being over does not cure it.

Try the gift scenario. The defendant's family presses cash on you for your excellent work. Accept it since the case is closed? Donate it to charity?

No — decline it, explaining that court rules do not allow it. There is no version of accepting that survives the impartiality canon. Confidentiality reaches further than most candidates expect. What you overhear between the defendant and his attorney in the hallway is privileged — you repeat it to no one, ever.

And even months after a case ends, when a reporter points out that everything was said in open court, you still decline to discuss it. The bar on public comment covers matters you interpreted, public or not. Test that one. A reporter asks for your views on a long-finished case — all public record.

Free to talk? No. You decline to discuss the case, though the facts are public. The restriction is on you commenting about matters you were engaged in, not on the information's secrecy.

Scope of practice is the third wall: you interpret, and you sight translate, and that is the whole job. When the defendant asks in the hallway whether he should take the plea deal, you say you cannot advise him and refer him to his attorney. Even a balanced summary of pros and cons is legal advice from the one person in the room who must never give it. And one duty cuts above all the others: reporting.

Before a plea hearing, the retaining attorney says — if my client mentions the earlier arrest, just leave that part out. You refuse, and you report the request to the presiding judge. Any effort to make you break the code gets brought to the court. That is not optional, and it does not matter who signs your invoice.

Recap. Conflicts get disclosed on the record and the judge decides. No opinions, no gifts — ever. Confidentiality covers overheard privilege and outlives the case, even for public facts.

The job is interpreting, not advising. And attempts to corrupt the record get reported to the judge. Next lesson: the three modes of interpreting — which one, when, and the courtroom protocol around them. Practice free at quibank.com/court-interpreter.

See you in lesson four.