N.M. 3rd Jud. Dist. Court Interpreter Standards of Practice and Payment Policies 7

case-by-case basis.

Participation in Interpreter Relevant Education or Training

In addition to membership in a professional association, each person shall also

complete twenty (20) hours of AOC-approved professional education, including at

least two hours of ethics related training, every two years, effective January 1, 2011.

There are several options available to meet this requirement including, but not

limited to:

1. Attend and participate in the New Mexico Interpreters’ Annual Conference, an AOC or

New Mexico Center for Language Access professional development opportunity, or a

nationally recognized interpreter related conference or

2. Successfully complete a relevant course at an accredited community or four year college.

This must be a course for credit for at least 3 credit hours and is relevant to interpreting or

legal issues or

3. Successfully complete a continuing legal education course approved by the New Mexico

State Bar Association of at least three credit hours and relevant to interpreting or legal

issues.

4. Develop and present a workshop on interpreting and/or translation to interpreters to receive

credit for the same number of continuing education hours as a participant in that workshop.

The instructor may only receive continuing education credit for the same workshop one

time.

III. Qualifying a Course for New Mexico Continuing Education Credits

A provider of professional education may request pre-approval for New Mexico continuing education

hours by providing the AOC with the following information for the course or training event:

1. Topic/s with Content Outline;

New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts

Court Interpreter Services

Continuing Education Verification Form

For 2012

To maintain NM Court Interpreter Certification, interpreters must complete the

information below and attach the appropriate documentation. The requested attachments

must be included when returning this form. The contact information below will be used to

update the Certified Court Interpreters Directory. This completed form with

documentation, if not already submitted,must be returned by December 1, 2012 to Renee Lovato,

Administrative Office of the Courts, 237 Don Gaspar, Room 25, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

Upon receipt of this information, you will be issued your 2013-2014 Identification Badge.

Name:

Address:

E mail Address:

Phone Numbers: Day Evening Mobile

1. Verification of Membership in a Professional Interpreters Association (state or national)

Name of Association:

Current Membership Expires:

Please attach a copy of your membership card, indicating membership expiration date.

2. Verification of Attendance at an Interpreters Conference, Class or related Educational

Offering (e.g., legal education through the State Bar)

Title of Conference or Class Attended:

Dates Attended:

Hours Attended:

Sponsoring Agency or Institution:

Contact Information for Sponsoring Agency or Institution:

Please attach a certificate of attendance which indicates the dates attended and the

sponsoring agency or institution.

Administrative Office of the Courts

Supreme Court of New Mexico

Arthur W. Pepin, Director 237 Don Gaspar, Room 25

Patrick Simpson, Deputy Director Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 827-4800

(505) 827-4824 (fax)

www.nmcourts.gov

NEW MEXICO COURT INTERPRETER BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY

AND FINGERPRINT CARD POLICY

Candidates for court interpreter certification who have passed the written and oral

examinations required for certification as a New Mexico Court Interpreter and New

Mexico Center for Language Access qualified Justice System Interpreters must submit

an application and complete an NCIC (National Crime Information Center) background

check (Triple III), and submit completed finger print card. Upon submission of an

application, the AOC shall give the candidate fingerprint cards and a waiver form. It is

the candidate’s responsibility to go his/her local law enforcement agency or to the

Department of Public Safety’s office in Santa Fe, 4491 Cerillos Road, for fingerprinting.

Costs for fingerprinting are the responsibility of the applicant. The fingerprint card and

the waiver form must be returned to the AOC within two weeks of submission of the

application. The AOC will then obtain a background with the fingerprints.

Subsequently, every two years, the Administrative Office of the Courts will complete a

name-only NCIC background check, not requiring fingerprints, for all interpreters who

have successfully completed the NCIC (Triple III) background check and are included in

the New Mexico Directory of Certified Court Interpreters and Justice System

Interpreters.

1. Any candidate who refuses to comply with this Policy shall not be certified as a

New Mexico court interpreter.

2. The Administrative Office of the Courts will accept NCIC (Triple III) background

check results from other agencies when the background check has been

completed within one year of its submission to the Administrative Office of the

Courts in compliance with this Policy and provided that a full copy of the report is

provided to the Administrative Office of the Courts by the agency initiating the

background check.

3. Any information obtained shall be marked “CONFIDENTIAL” and shall not be

used for any purpose other than the application for court interpreter certification

or any process related to certification.

4. No information obtained from the background check shall be given to any person,

firm, or corporation.

NEW MEXICO COURT INTERPRETER

BACKGROUND CHECK WAIVER AUTHORIZATION

Having passed the required written and oral examinations, having successfully

completed the New Mexico Center for Language Access Justice System Interpreter

Training, or having been qualified by the New Mexico Commission for the Deaf, I am

applying for New Mexico Court Interpreter Certification and/or inclusion in the New

Mexico Directory of Certified Court Interpreters and Justice System Interpreters.

This Waiver Authorization expressly authorizes the New Mexico Administrative Office of

the Courts to conduct an NCIC background check and submit finger print cards to the

Department of Pubic Safety and to conduct biennial NCIC name-only background

checks. The release of the requested information is necessary for the purpose of

working as a Certified Court Interpreter or being registered as a Justice System

Interpreter by the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Court. The authorized

information is not to be given to any other person, firm or corporation. The undersigned

may withdraw this consent at any future time, in writing.

P r i n t f u l l n a m e

F i r s t M i d d l e L a s t

Maiden Name

Signature

A d d r e s s

Street No. City State Zip Code

Date of Birth Place of Birth

S o c i a l S e c u r i t y N u m b e r

Witness Signature

D a t e

Attachment D

Qualifying the Interpreter

4-114. Suggested questions for assessing qualifications of proposed court interpreter.

[For use with District Court Rule 1-103, Magistrate Court Rule 2-113, Metropolitan Court

Rule 3-113, and Evidence Rule 11-604 NMRA]

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS FOR PROPOSED COURT INTERPRETERS 1

1. Do you have any particular training or credentials as an interpreter?

2. What is your native language?

3. How did you learn English?

4. How did you learn [the foreign language]?

5. What was the highest grade you completed in school?

6. Have you spent any time in the foreign country?

7. Did you formally study either language in school? Extent?