SnoCo Council recognizes interpreters role in providing justice

Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 7, 2026

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council recognized court interpreters Wednesday and the role they play in providing equal access to justice.

The council passed a resolution recognizing May 6 as Court Interpreter Appreciation Day at its regular meeting.

“Court interpreters bring specialized cognitive, linguistic, and legal knowledge — including mastery of court terminology and procedures — enabling precise, impartial, and culturally competent interpretation that is essential for fair hearings and due process,” the resolution says.

County Council member Strom Peterson’s mother-in-law worked as a court interpreter for many years in New Mexico, he said during the meeting.

“I would be remiss to say just how much I appreciate court interpreters,” Peterson said. “This is really something that’s important for people at all levels of government and all areas of our community need to realize the critical piece of work that you do. So thank you for giving people the access to justice they deserve.”

Before the council voted on the resolution, presiding judge at Snohomish County Superior Court, Jennifer Langbehn, read written comments from Superior Court Judge Anna Alexander, the chair of the court’s outreach committee.

“Court interpreters are not a convenience or an accommodation,” Langbehn read. “They are an essential part of meaningful access to justice. They do far more than translate words. They preserve accuracy, protect due process and ensure that every person who enters our courthouse — whether as a victim, a witness, a parent, a defendant or a juror — can participate with dignity and understanding.”

Court-certified Spanish interpreter Iratxe Cardwell also spoke.

“I’m very passionate about what I do because I do believe that we can’t have true access to justice without the skilled interpreters that we have working in our state,” she said. “There’s a movement towards using other means to provide interpretation, like AI, and it concerns me that we think that’s good enough to protect people due process.”

As older interpreters retire, there aren’t enough new people choosing the profession to replace them, Cardwell said after the meeting.

“The profession is not that well known, and because it is such a skilled profession, it is really difficult to pass the certification,” she said. “I hope that more people learn about the profession. I hope that we are given the funding that is needed nationwide.”

Cardwell appreciated the recognition, but bringing awareness to the profession is more important, she said.

A newer generation of interpreters is needed, she said, so “that people’s rights can be protected.”

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay