{"id":94,"date":"2024-02-16T21:30:13","date_gmt":"2024-02-16T21:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/myweb.fiu.edu\/oabre004\/?page_id=94"},"modified":"2024-04-22T20:44:17","modified_gmt":"2024-04-22T20:44:17","slug":"the-interpreter-twilight-zone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/myweb.fiu.edu\/oabre004\/the-interpreter-twilight-zone\/","title":{"rendered":"The Interpreter Twilight Zone."},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pilot moment.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Picture this<\/mark>: you are at the airport getting ready to board your flight back home; you are traveling light on luggage, but your two kids are clinging to your arm like Walmart-overloaded bags. You settled into your seat and were about to relax when the pilot’s voice came out through the speaker. Everyone started getting up and out of the plane quickly enough to freak you out. You have no clue what’s going on because this is what you heard the pilot said:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Yep…I see you running to press this red button over here to my left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we are on the same page, I can continue this chat confident that you will see my point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Court interpreters experience the same feelings of distress and borderline panic attacks you felt after that ‘pilot moment’ on a regular basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference is that, in a courtroom, you better fake it until you make it, or else!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judges, public defenders, state attorneys, and family members (and the list could include even the janitor) all have their ‘PILOT MODE ON’ since they set foot in the courthouse. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

And understandably so.<\/p>\n

Public defenders<\/span> are the definition of ‘having more on your plate than you can chew<\/em>.’<\/span> They are overworked, sleep-deprived individuals who are trying to excel in their functions and really learn the ropes of their trade. They do have the best intentions at heart…most of the time, but it is a simple matter of logistics and basic biology. Then, the job turns into a sort of conveyor belt mechanically<\/span> following all the stages of due process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Its twin, the State attorney<\/span>, has a different j’ai ne sais quois<\/em> .\u00a0<\/p>\n

State attorneys are even more emotionally detached<\/span> from the case than the rest of us. I bet you picture them as the unsung divine warriors wielding the spade that defends your victim’s honor. And I’m not refuting that, just changing the light that shines upon it…a little bit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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the Real scale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What comes to mind when you see one of these scales? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whatever your answer, I want you to picture this tool as the beacon in a trial process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every offense\/crime committed corresponds with a set of punishments. These guidelines take into account the seriousness of the offense and the criminal record of the offender.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are 43 levels of offense seriousness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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So…what about it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The State Attorney focuses on doing justice to the victims as long as it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n