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Dear Members, April 30th, 2022 was the expiration date of the 120-day period LASC relied on to continue remote work under the original COVID-19 Telework contract. Many of you have returned to work and have been called upon to do remote work while on site. Until uniform remote work standards are established between CFI and LASC, your MOU and the following Judicial Council standards apply. We can use the following standards for our own protection by citing them, if necessary, while on the record. CFI will use them to defend against any attempt to discipline us in remote settings. We would like to share with you two attachments. One is called the "Quick Script to Address Remote Interpreting Problems," which is meant to be a one-page double-sided document that our members can print out, fold up and carry around while working. It contains suggested phrases to put on the record or say to judges in certain situations. It is also useful in non-remote settings in some instances. The second attachment, a five-page "Reference Packet for Quick Script", is comprised of reference material (i.e. court rules and judicial standards) to support your scripted statements to the court. It is also helpful in guiding interpreters in some ethical situations. The third reference source is a hyperlink (in bold blue ink which you may click) of a lengthy Judicial Council manual that was compiled specifically for court interpreters. The blue hyperlink is found at the end of the second paragraph of page 1 of the "Reference Packet". Once you click on it, it will take you to a JC website. In the middle of the website page, go to the "Ethics Training Information" heading and you will find the link below this heading which will take you to "Professional Standards and Ethics for California Court Interpreters". Press click on that and you will access this helpful manual of approximately fifty pages. We believe that armed with the three valuable resources that we have included here, you will be in a better position to make appropriate remote and non-remote interpretation decisions in your courtrooms. We apologize for the tardiness in preparing these documents for distribution. In solidarity, Roxana Cárdenas
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