Opinion ID: 1057701
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: the arabic language interpreter

Text: Mr. Banks insists that the trial court's use of a non-credentialed Arabic language interpreter violated his federal and state due process rights and his right to confront the witnesses against him. [16] Specifically, he asserts that the trial court erred by failing to follow the procedures for the use of non-credentialed interpreters required by Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42, § 3(e) and (f). Even though Mr. Banks did not object to the interpreter's qualifications at trial and failed to include this issue in his motion for new trial, the Court of Criminal Appeals determined that the trial court did not commit plain error with regard to the use of the Arabic language interpreter. We agree.
The guilt phase of the trial began on April 6, 2005, with Mr. Atilebawi as the State's first witness. Before Mr. Atilebawi began to testify, the following colloquy occurred between the trial court and Alladin Ghanem, the Arabic language interpreter: THE COURT: And let me ask a couple of questions of you for the record. Your name is Mr. Ghanem; correct? THE INTERPRETER: Yes. THE COURT: You are certified by the State of Tennessee as a translator/interpreter for court proceedings; is that correct? THE INTERPRETER: Yes. Yes, Your Honor. THE COURT: And specifically in Arabic language? THE INTERPRETER: Yes. THE COURT: And in a variety of dialects of the Arabic language; correct? THE INTERPRETER: Yes, sir. THE COURT: Including the Iraqi language and dialect and idioms and related matters? THE INTERPRETER: I have record here also in the state of Shelby County of doing this for over 15 years. Mr. Banks did not request further voir dire regarding Mr. Ghanem's qualifications, and he did not object to the use of Mr. Ghanem as the interpreter during the trial. In addition, Mr. Banks did not take issue with the qualifications or use of Mr. Ghanem in his motion for new trial.
When a defendant raises an issue for the first time on appeal, the issue will generally be deemed waived and will be considered only within the limited parameters of an appellate court's discretionary plain error review. State v. Faulkner, 154 S.W.3d 48, 58 (Tenn.2005); State v. Maddin, 192 S.W.3d 558, 561 (Tenn.Crim. App.2005); see also Tenn. R.App. P. 3(e); Tenn. R.App. P. 36(a); Tenn. R.Crim.App. 52(b). The defendant bears the burden of persuading the appellate court that the trial court committed plain error and that the error was of sufficient magnitude that it probably changed the outcome of the trial. State v. Bledsoe, 226 S.W.3d 349, 354-55 (Tenn.2007). Under plain error review, relief will only be granted when five prerequisites are met: (1) the record clearly establishes what occurred in the trial court, (2) a clear and unequivocal rule of law was breached, (3) a substantial right of the accused was adversely affected, (4) the accused did not waive the issue for tactical reasons, and (5) consideration of the error is necessary to do substantial justice. State v. Gomez, 239 S.W.3d 733, 737 (Tenn.2007).
Notwithstanding Mr. Ghanem's statement that he was a certified Arabic language interpreter, Mr. Banks asserts on appeal that Mr. Ghanem is not a certified or registered Arabic language interpreter and asks the appellate court to take judicial notice of this fact. The Court of Criminal Appeals did not address this argument directly. Instead, the court accredited Mr. Ghanem's uncontradicted statement that he was a certified Arabic language interpreter and, therefore, held that the trial court was not required to comply with the requirements of Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42, § 3(e) and (f). The Administrative Office of the Courts issues photographic identification cards to interpreters who are either certified or registered in accordance Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42 and also maintains a current listing of all certified and registered interpreters on its website. [17] Accordingly, in cases requiring an interpreter, it is advisable for the courts and the litigants to verify the interpreter's status by requesting him or her to produce the identification card or by consulting the Administrative Office of the Courts's website. In circumstances where an interpreter is either non-credentialed or is unable to demonstrate that he or she is credentialed, the court should then follow the procedures mandated by Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42, § 3(e) and (f). Based on the record in this case, we cannot find that the trial court erred, much less committed plain error, by failing to follow the procedures set forth in Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42 § 3(e) and (f). Mr. Ghanem stated that he was certified by the State of Tennessee. Mr. Banks did not challenge this assertion or request further voir dire of Mr. Ghanem. The trial court believed that Mr. Ghanem was a certified interpreter. Accordingly, based on the information available at the time, Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42 § 3(e) and (f) were inapplicable. It would be utterly nonsensical to find that a trial court erred by failing to follow the procedures required for utilizing a non-credentialed interpreter when the trial court believed, without any objection from the defendant, that it was utilizing a certified interpreter. [18] The use an interpreter who is neither certified nor registered is not reversible error in and of itself. It may rise to the level of reversible error only in circumstances where a certified or registered interpreter was readily available and where the use of the non-credentialed interpreter undermined the fairness of the proceeding in some way. This record does not indicate that a certified or registered Arabic language interpreter was readily available or that Mr. Ghanem's translation somehow undermined the fairness of the proceeding. It is difficult for this Court to discern whether Mr. Banks is also making the separate argument in his appellate brief that the trial court erred by failing to appoint a second interpreter to verify the accuracy of Mr. Ghanem's translation for Mr. Banks and his attorney, neither of whom speak Arabic. Nonetheless, we have considered this argument, and we conclude that the trial court's failure to appoint a second interpreter for this purpose was not error. While Tenn. Sup.Ct. R. 42, § 3(g) permits the use of multiple interpreters, the rule does not explicitly authorize the appointment of a second interpreter for the purpose of assessing the accuracy of the first interpreter. [19] Because Mr. Banks never requested a second interpreter for this purpose or any other purpose, the trial court did not err, much less commit plain error, by failing to appoint a second interpreter to review the translation of the first interpreter.