25. The Courts and Translation and English as a Second Language

About 540,000 of Minnesota's residents do not speak English in their homes.  To help them when they find themselves involved in the courts, Chief Justice Lorie Skjerven Gildea has been improving and expanding access and translation services.

To get an overall picture of these efforts, you might want to review the Judicial Branch's plan from July 7, 2016.  See  here.

Most information about the courts is available in Spanish, Somali, Russian, Hmong ("Hmoob"), Khmer, Lao, and Vietnamese.  Translation is also available for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  See here.

Courts are required to pay for translators from criminal defendants, parties to lawsuits, and witnesses.  Judges are given clear instructions on how to test a person's ease with English.  See here.

In 2013, the Judicial Branch produced a valuable video on "Going to Court in Minnesota" in Hmong, Somali, and Spanish.  See here. 

In 2013, the Judicial Branch produced a valuable video on "Going to Court in Minnesota" for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.  See here.

Most court forms are now available in many languages.