All of us here today learned in our basic high school civics courses about the critical role played by the jury system in preserving our freedom and democracy. The challenge now is to invest those catch phrases with substance and to make improvements that will demonstrate to those who are called to jury duty that we truly respect and appreciate their contributions. This endeavor also highlights the fact that efforts to improve various aspects of our justice system often will require the cooperation of all three branches of government. While you as legislators can provide money, authorization, and direction for some aspects of the process, the courts must continue to build on their own experience to modify a wide range of practices. Working together on problems such as these, we can have a tremendous beneficial impact.
Jury service is but one part of the structure.
Another is court interpreters, who every day in California's courts translate more than 100 languages. The ability to understand what is happening in court, whether you are a victim, a defendant, or a witness, is so basic as to need no explanation. There can be no access without comprehension. Yet in the last few years, we have seen a 30 percent decline in the number of available interpreters, and we constantly are waging a losing battle to retain those we have, in the face of far greater compensation paid by the federal courts and the private sector. The Judicial Council has established standards for certifying qualified court interpreters to assist those in need of translation services.