As a professional freelance interpreter in Clark County with more than 30 years of experience and President of Interpreters United of Washington State, a union of 2,000 certified interpreters, I have serious concern about Clark County District Court Judge Darvin Zimmerman. Attorney Tim Murphy of Northwest Justice Project noted: “Over the years his clients who appeared before Zimmerman were repeatedly, unnecessarily questioned about their need for a translator.”
Watching the judge on a YouTube clip titled “Zimmerman on Language Barrier,” posted Feb. 25, 2017, confirmed my fear for certain groups of residents who had to appear before him.
The English legal language is very complex and difficult to fully understand for anyone, let alone for the persons who speak it as a second language or none. One could be fluent in conversational or “street” English, but easily and completely lost in the courtroom if he/she did not understand just one word in a sentence the judge spoke. Such clients attracted this judge’s suspicion, as if they had something to hide or deceive him.
I believe all citizens are not equal in the eyes of the law when they have to appear in front of Zimmerman. I request that all non- or limited English-speaking cases handled by judge Zimmerman be thoroughly reviewed by the higher courts to ensure fairness to all.
