The mission of Court Interpreting is to provide certified or duly qualified interpreters in the courtroom to non-English speaking or deaf persons for all six counties of the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Court Interpreting schedules and provides interpreting services for court events held in front of a Judge or Magistrate. The Eighth Judicial Circuit employs one full-time certified Spanish interpreter and maintains a roster of certified and qualified contract interpreters who are employed on an as-needed basis.
Court Interpreters are required to attend the State Courts orientation workshop and successfully pass the written and oral examinations prior to being hired as an independent contractor in the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Telephonic foreign language interpretation is provided for weekend and holiday first appearances and for languages not common to the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Real-time reporting services are also available for English literate deaf individuals as an alternate means when no sign language interpreter is available.
All requests should be made in advance whenever possible and in writing to Court Administration via e-mail at: interpreter@circuit8.org. If you do not receive a confirmation request within two business days prior to the hearing or event, please contact the Court Interpreter at (352) 264-7063. If the Court Interpreter is unavailable, contact Court Administration at (352) 264-7029.
Please be sure to include the following information when making your request:
- Date, time and location of the event
- Language desired, include any geographical preferences (ex. Brazilian Portuguese)
- The case number and name of the person(s) requiring interpretation
- The name and telephone of the person making the request
- The type of event and any special needs or instructions
If you are interested in the State Court Interpreter Program, you may view the Interpreter Recruitment Brochure, or visit the Florida State Court’s website. For additional information on working as a contract Court Interpreter with the Eighth Judicial Circuit, please visit Employment at the Eighth Judicial Circuit.
Other helpful links concerning the court interpreting profession:
